The Potter Brothers: The Shadow Seal
by lsgp
Summary: AU Harry has a brother and he doesn't know. Sequel to 'Potter Brothers: The Stone and the Book'. Follow Harry and Robert as they continue in  second year at Hogwarts, with new enemies and new friends. A story once told of a secret hidden in the castle.
1. The Last Disciple

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything, everything belongs to JKR.

A/N: Well here's the sequel for my story, hope you enjoy it.

**The Potter Brothers: The Shadow Seal**

**Chapter 1: The Last Disciple**

The summer air blew softly against the sand in the forgotten beach. The deserted island stretched for a couple miles, with a vast jungle surrounding a mountain that reached not too high into the sky. Small waves crashed one after the other under the bright sunlight and few seabirds flew in the ever clear skies. A blue light flahsed in a split second, leaving a lone child in the sand. The dark haired boy was clad in a dark cloak, clearly different and unwelcome in the jovial tones and colors from the beach. He slowly got up and grunted spitting a mouthful of sand, after having landed with his face to the ground. He took a deep breath after cleaning his cloak and he rummaged through his clothes. After a few moments, he let out a deep sigh and pulled a wooden polished stick. His green emerald eyes scanned scene in front of him. Everything seemed unreal, but then, since last year, his life had changed completely.

Leaving the particular trail of thought, he stood transfixed at his surroundings and felt somewhat overwhelmed. Every smell, every sound, every touch felt foreign to him. Not taking the heat anymore, he relieved himself of the cloak and other heavy garment he wore. This kind of sunlight was something he was not accustomed to. He took a few steps into the island and leaned under the shadow of a palm and sat down. The first thing that he did was to assess all his possessions. He blessed the skies for letting him bring his wand with him, since it would be the most useful item in his arsenal. Being a wizard surely had its benefits. He also had his invisibility cloak with him, but nothing else. Worst-case scenario, he would have to create a _Portkey._ But before making any decisions, he decided that he would explore the island where the guardians had sent him. Still, he was unsure if accepting their offer had been a good idea.

He didn't know any shrinking charms yet, so the best he could do to carry all his things was to pull several huge leaves from a palm and make a rudimentary bag. After half an hour of making some rope out of the trees fibers he decided the rucksack was as good as it would get and he put his normal and his invisibility cloak inside, leaving him with only his shirt and trousers. He aimed his wand towards the top of a palm and wondered for a second if he could do magic in the god-forsaken island without being detected by the ministry or any other wizard.

"_Diffindo_"

The palm made a ripping sound and several coconuts fell to the ground. They probably weren't the best he could get, but he figured that he wasn't going to find any other food so easily. He had never gone to the beach after all. No owls from the ministry came after he did the spell so he probably wasn't in England anymore. The next thing he had to do was to make a little hole on the coconut, to get some fresh drink. On his first try, the coconut was so badly trashed that the only thing he could do was to grab some and eat it before trying again. He already missed Hogwarts' food.

After another two tries he realized that it wasn't going to get any easier. An hour later, the boy was lying on the beach with literally thousands of coconut pieces around him. He wished Hermione were there, since she would probably know a spell that would pierce the coconut without obliterating it in the process. He wondered for a minute if he was putting too much power into the spell and if he could control the magic he put behind it. An idea came to his mind, remembering his last predicament before leaving the castle. Closing his eyes he begged silently so he could be able to use his eye's new ability. Not that he knew what it really did, but he had a general idea of it. He opened his eyes once again but noticed nothing different, so he gave another try. After ten tries he punched the sand in anger. He breathed trying to relax and wondered how he could call the power again, and, examining his wand, he tried to remember how he felt while doing any spell. He fixed his eyes to the wand on his right hand for what seemed for an eternity, but nothing happened. Another idea came to him and he aimed to the water.

"_Reducto_"

Several gallons of salt water flew a couple of feet, but his attention was elsewhere. He scrutinized his hand and realized he had felt something on his arm when doing the spell. He had never really paid much attention when doing magic in the school because he thought it was a normal thing. But now he knew something had been different between the two spells he had done. Once again, he aimed to the ocean and tried to feel the magic as he casted the blasting curse again. It took him several tries but he finally managed to get a grip on the sensation. The feeling was as if blood was flowing rapidly through his hand and leaving through the wand. He decided to give another try with the coconuts and he took some of them from another palm. He tried to relax and said the cutting charm once again. He felt how the magic flowed through his arm and he attempted to lower how much he would let out. But instead of doing a small hole on the coconut, a huge blast sent him flying to the sand, and he felt his head hit something hard as he landed. Then everything went black.

The next thing he knew, he was resting comfortably. Maybe it had all been a dream and he would wake up in his dorm or maybe on the cupboard on Privet Drive. A massive headache then hit him and he disregarded the idea. He opened his eyes and for a third time he was grateful that he didn't need his glasses anymore.

"You hit your head pretty bad, kid" said a voice next to him.

Harry jumped immediately and reached for his wand, but he didn't have it with him anymore. He rummaged through his clothes but didn't find it and he lifted his gaze to face the stranger, who watched him amusedly. The man had a light brown skin, probably from being too much under the sun, and long dark curly hair fell behind his back in a pony tail. He looked neither old nor young, perhaps in his middle thirties, but his dark brown eyes looked like he had seen too much, just like himself and his friends. Like reading his mind the man said out loud what he was thinking.

"Your eyes have seen much death, boy" he said, his accent slightly unfamiliar "No wonder the old fools sent you here. My name is Cyrus."

The hut in which Cyrus lived looked like the mixture of an archeologist lab and the armory of a battalion. Maps and all kinds of cartography instruments were scattered around but in contrast, the walls had all variety of armors, shields and swords up and down. One could see the whole history of mankind portrayed through such weapons. It was truly amazing.

"My name is Harry, Harry Potter" he answered "So what is this place?"

"Where you will begin your training…" he said simply with a serious look.

And train he did.

'_I take it all back'_ Harry thought '_I really miss Hogwarts_ _now._'

His legs were about to give up and the freaking steel buckets weren't getting lighter. It had been a week since he had gotten to the island and every single day had been like hell. The man didn't even answer to him. He just made him run every day up and down the mountain, every single _bloody _day. Not without refreshments of course.

"Are you ever going to teach me some magic?" he asked once as he grabbed a bit of some sort of bread, but he was answered with a small rock thrown to his head.

After having rested for the first day, the strange man had forced him to carry two buckets of pure steel full of rocks to the top of the mountain. Rest assured, Harry only made it halfway. Five days later, he had finally made it to the top… by mid night.

"Great" he muttered throwing a rock down the mountain.

"I see you've finally made it" the man said, after appearing out of thin air. Harry was startled at first, but he shook his head.

"Now come, I have something to show you."

The man was clad in what looked like a medieval armor that had seen better days. He followed Cyrus through the edge of the mountain and they finally arrived at a clearing. The very peak of the mountain looked like it had been flattened and tiles of broken stone floor were the last remainders of whatever construction had been before.

"It has been a week and you have told me nothing" grunted Harry angrily.

"I needed to know if you could survive the training" was the man's answer "Reaching this peak it's only the first part of it."

"Before you go on… I want to know who you are." Harry demanded "Why were you sent to train me? Who sent you?"

"My name is Cyrus, and that is all you need to know until I guarantee you are truly ready for the things you are going to be facing. For now you will continue with the mountain trail, but we now start another… type of training".

The smirk at the end of the sentence did nothing to calm Harry down.

"This place" he said walking by the broken tiles with his arms open "used to be a temple , a sanctuary for cleansing of mind and soul. It was a place where heroes were born."

"Right…" muttered Harry.

But in that very moment he was about to turn around when his face came to a stop an inch away from a tip of a sword.

"Bloody!..." he said as he jumped backwards. "Are you trying to kill me? How did you do that?! Are you going to teach me?" he added excited.

"There's much yet to learn, boy" he said as he spun his sword and walked around Harry "Swordsmanship isn't just spinning and swinging around your weapon carelessly. First you need to understand the sword, hear her voice as it whispers…"

"It's a she?" Harry asked amusedly, but in a split second after he had finished the words he found himself in the ground with the sword pointed at his face…again.

"Never disrespect _Kataigida"_ said Cyrus angrily "she doesn't react well to insults."

Harry gasped as the blade actually glowed in a soft white light and let out a soft hum. Cyrus held his hand and helped him stand up.

"Whichever weapon you choose" he said holding the sword for Harry to see "is not a hollow tool of death for you to slay your opponents, quite the contrary in fact. There is one weapon deadlier than any blade, axe or arrow. And that my friend is here…" he said tapping Harry's forehead with two fingers.

"But what good is a weapon against another wizard?" asked Harry.

"Much to learn…" he mumbled barely audibly "Let me show you. Here, have your wand, use it against me. Aim to disarm or stun."

The man smirked as he took a few steps away from Harry and bowed. Harry followed the gesture and held his wand fiercely in his right hand. With a slight nod, Cyrus prodded him to attack.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ Harry bellowed, his wand forming a red beam which Cyrus merely sidestepped.

"Poorly aimed" Cyrus taunted "Try again"

The next time, Harry casted the spell twice but both were dodged easily. He decided then to change strategy and sent a blasting hex to the ground before sending a stunner were Cyrus had landed after leaping away.

"_Epistrofos"_ Cyrus muttered. A faint glow surrounded the sword and Cyrus covered his chest against the ongoing spell. The last thing Harry saw was his own spell flying back to him.

Harry woke up groggily the next day inside Cyrus's hut. The mysterious man was nowhere to be seen. Instead a pair of steel buckets joined by a single wooden pole awaited him on the edge of the mountain trail. Grabbing a quick breakfast, which consisted of a rare kind of eggs and something that looked a lot like raw fish, he grabbed the two buckets and carried them on his back up the mountain. Once he reached the mountain top, a bit earlier this time, Cyrus was waiting him with two wooden swords.

"You are slowly building your agility and resistance, but before starting to learn to attack and defend, you need to learn how to move…" he said "and how to hold your weapon. The first question is… which weapon will you choose?"

"Well, I suppose there are pros and cons for all of them, right?" Harry asked, and since his only response was a nod, he continued "mm… I think I'd like to learn how to use a sword, but I don't know which one will fit my skills better."

"Good thinking, boy" he said smiling and out of thin air, several weapons appeared floating on the air. Harry frowned when he realized Cyrus hadn't use a wand. "There are one handed swords, which will give you a good attack and speed, but will allow you to use another weapon, either another sword or a wand for example. The two-handed swords have a much greater power and are heavier, thus, disabling you from using another weapon or shield and restraining your speed. The spears have a wider range than the swords, but lack in their speed, and the only point of attack is at the tip. However they do make up in strength. An axe has a shorter range than the sword but can deal greater damage and is by far the slowest. The bow and arrow require great accuracy and patience to master, and of course, they provide the longest range of attack. There are other alternatives for weapons, like knives, that are faster and staves that allow great mobility. Whatever your decision is, I will show you how to wield it and do more damage to your opponents.

Wizards have forgotten the battles of old, and rely only in their funny little sticks. But what they ignore is that a wand is only a meaning for focusing the magic. Anything can be used for such purpose. You will not be weakened by wielding a 'muggle' weapon, as they call it. It will aid you, opening a whole new margin of opportunities to do magic."

Harry reflected on his options, and silently agreed with his mentor. Wielding a weapon of this kind would be really helpful if he ever encountered the Snake Lords' minions. And he was curious about the spell that Cyrus had done the night before. Could he really be able do magic with a sword? Perhaps it had a magical core of its own… He watched every weapon that was available and pointed at one at last.

"A one handed sword…" said Cyrus, as he banished the rest of the weapons "May I ask why you chose it?"

"Well…" Harry said as he held the sword on his left hand "Like you said… the sword has good range for close combat, and will allow me to use another weapon. I was thinking that using my wand and the sword I could do good long range damage and defend myself against close attacks."

"That is correct, but don't forget that you can also deal great damage if you know how to reach your opponent or lure him into your sword's range. Now we will be using one of the oldest techniques for combat training with swords."

With a flick of his sword the stone tiles of the floor rearranged themselves in two circles. One was large with various smaller circles inside, with another circle on the edge.

"This is called the Master's Circle" Cyrus announced "The circle is your world and as your skill improves, you will advance to a smaller circle until you reach the center. At that point it will take a truly masterful swordsman to even get near you."

"But how will it help if I move to the smaller circles?" asked Harry.

"Think about it, boy" said Cyrus crossing his arms "In the greater circle, you will be able to move around easily without limits. But as you move inwards, this freedom will subdue, therefore, your skill must be greater to defend yourself."

"Oh…" Harry said "I think I get it now. I won't be able to dodge your attacks so I will need to defend better."

"Indeed" said Cyrus chuckling "Now, every day you will carry these buckets to the top of the mountain. After that you will begin training with me in the master's circle. When your resistance and your ability with the sword have improved we will start meditating at the end of the session and I will start teaching you Occlumency."

"You're on" Harry said stretching his limbs as he smiled slyly.

"Very well, let's begin."

From that moment on, the training became even harsher. In addition to the daily jog up the mountain, they would spend each afternoon sparring with training wood swords, followed by an hour of meditation for Occlumency lessons. According to Cyrus, one should be able to know their mind in and out. Protection of the mind wasn't about imagining fictional walls and barriers. In order to understand how to defend against a Legilimency assault, one had to actually be a target of one. When Cyrus did it the first time, Harry started hearing a voice, subtle and inviting, ordering him to remember his memories, to bring them out, even when he couldn't recall most of them. It was very disturbing in many levels. The key however, wasn't to clear one's mind either.

"Ever tried to think of nothing, kid?" Cyrus asked when he tried to explain the mechanics behind Occlumency "And when someone tells you something, you get distracted and start thinking of whatever comes first to your mind. Even the slightest sound draws your attention, and that's when the Legilimens attacks. I doubt there's someone that could actually stay completely unfocused for an entire minute."

"I hadn't thought about that" said Harry.

"The clue is to think of something that completely captures your attention. For instance, if you're good at Quidditch, you start thinking of strategies, drills and matches; if you're good at math, start thinking in numbers, equations or whatever. Catch my drift? The point is to confuse the attacker. Eventually, you will be able to create a layer of undecipherable thoughts that no Legilimens will be able to crack. After you learn how to defend, I'll teach you how to read a mind."

And so, Cyrus began attacking his mind at every chance he had; at his runs, during their sword lessons and even when sleeping.

Two months passed like a mere whisper of a second. Harry could actually do the mountain trail twice before noon at that point. His sword technique wasn't as good as Cyrus', but he had advanced a few circles already and with each improvement he pushed harder, and with each fall he picked himself up and began again. Cyrus complimented him at his tenacity and persistence, something he had never done, apparently.

"Who trained you?" asked Harry once after a particularly nasty sparring session "It's not like you learnt all this by yourself, right?"

Cyrus merely groaned and launched a Legilimens assault. Harry wasn't in a particularly good mood, and his response came more violent than he had intended and blasted Cyrus away. With a calculating look and a frown, he glanced at Harry from the place he had landed. A heavy silence overcame both master and student, before one of them spoke.

"You have potential, kid" he just said while standing up.

Something changed from that point and Cyrus became a tad friendlier. He taught Harry several moves that improved greatly his sparring and he quickly got hold of Occlumency. He even joined Harry in his morning runs with some weights of his own.

"One must never stop training, remember that" he told him.

October passed in a quickly and November arrived with strong, chilling winds. Raging clouds seem to form on the horizon, surrounding the island, as if they were waiting the right point to block the remaining sky with storms. Cyrus also seemed on the edge, urging him more and more in his training. The tension could be cut with a knife like warm butter. Harry also began to felt uneasy, like being watched. He would look over his shoulder sometimes, when a rustle of a crack would break the silence in the night. But nothing happened.

November came and went in a blink of an eye, and Harry could already keep Cyrus completely out of his head. His skill with the sword also surprised him. It came natural to him, just like flying did. Even in the cold weather, Harry could already run up the mountain in less than two hours. He already felt the changes in his body. He got less tired during his sparring lessons, and he could protect his mind easily. His muscles were already getting in shape and he began doing other types of exercises, like crunches and pull ups. But he couldn't wait to learn about the magic that Cyrus did. Every now and then, he would catch him doing magic without the aid of a wand. So, when he wasn't watching him, Harry tried to figure out what he was doing, without any luck whatsoever. But by the time that December arrived, he decided it was enough, and to demand to teach him about it after their usual training.

"Nicely done boy" Cyrus said smugly "You have finally arrived at the last circle. It's almost time…"

But before Harry could say anything, a great shadow covered the sky. Both student and master looked up and saw as a great cloud formation loomed over the island. A shiver crept through his spine and a loud roar was heard in the distance.

"Take out your wand boy" muttered Cyrus fiercely "Things are going to get nasty. They have found us."

And extending his arm with his hand opened, Cyrus muttered something and a small stone pillar formed in the center of the training ground. Harry instantly recognized the sign on the stone as the symbol of the Book of Magic.

His attention, however, was drawn to the other end of the island, where a massive shadow had descended from the dark skies. Harry did a double take to confirm if he was mistaken, but unfortunately he wasn't. The shadow was _alive_ and it floated through the tree tops apparently searching for something.

"Be prepared boy" said Cyrus "The pillar takes about five minutes to be ready. So, in the meantime, we must hold the beast off"

"What is that thing?" asked Harry frowning.

"It's a shadow dragon"he muttered "Creature of the night and darkness. It was created by one of the Snake Lords. This storm is not natural; it strengthens the power of the dragon. They know everything that happens under the dark storm. Its weakness is light of course, but I doubt any sunlight will come to us any time soon. We just have to survive for five minutes."

The pillar started humming softly, as if building up energy. Harry could actually feel its power surrounding him. But the great shadow on the island seemed to have felt it as well, and turned its attention to the mountain top. Cyrus unsheathed his sword and clenched his teeth. Harry was unsure of what to do, with only his wooden sword and his wand. But remembering his training, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second. A roar on the other end of the mountain signaled the arrival of the dragon, and Harry opened his eyes.

The beast was unlike anything he had seen or heard of. Its reptilian body was made out of smoke and darkness, but the eyes were a bright, demonic red and inside its fauces, a black fired brewed waiting to be released.

Both master and student leapt away from the place they had been just a second before the first fire volley burnt them to ashes. The dragon paid no attention to the man and concentrated on Harry. However, before it could launch another blast, a bright light came from behind and struck the dragon's head and diverted the fire. Harry took advantage of this and rolled under the beast's legs and joined Cyrus.

"_Reducto!" _ Harry bellowed, but the blasting curse merely passed through the dragon's smoke body.

Cyrus muttered something after they had evaded another attack, and before Harry understood what had happened, his teacher had jumped ten feet over the beast's head and charged downwards with his sword.

"_Astraph!"_ the man bellowed as he swung the sword downwards. Harry stood transfixed when he saw that _Kataigida_ looked like she had been electrified. But the Dragon was too fast and barely avoided the sword with a deep scratch. When he landed, Cyrus made a crater on the ground and an electric web formed on the floor around him for a second, but left him at the Dragon's mercy.

Harry felt a familiar pull on his head and time seemed to slow. The world around him seemed to have stopped just before the beast sent the attack that would doom his mentor. In that moment he realized that he could actually see the Dragons real body, formed of black scales, and the ground around Cyrus was filled with a pale blue mist.

Harry had called his eyes' power without knowing again.

And out of the blue, he understood what he needed to do. It would not destroy the Dragon, but it would stop him for the precious minute that the Pillar needed to be ready. Time seemed to catch on and started speeding up when Harry raised his wand.

"_LUMOS RADIX!" _Harry bellowed.

A great light formed on the tip of his wand and was sent to the Dragon's face. With a great blast, the light sphere impacted on the eyes of the beast, stopping it from sending another round of black fire. The dragon roared in pain and flew to the darkened skies with a blinding glow over its eyes.

"Quick, boy there is no time!" Cyrus bellowed as he grabbed Harry from his arm and pulled him to the pillar. Another roar came from top of them and just at the moment when they both reached it, the symbol on the stone began glowing. The last thing that Harry saw was a dark beam rushing directly at them, before he felt his whole body in pain and everything went black. The whole island was obliterated in a great explosion, leaving only a great vortex in the water where the temple had once stood. The skies cleared and no trace of the dragon, the boy nor his teacher remained.

Harry slowly opened his eyes, trying to make out the surroundings. He had already lost count of the times he had passed out in the last six or seven months, but he hadn't got used to it. Of course he wasn't in Cyrus's hut anymore, that much he could say. The bed he was resting in wasn't uncomfortable; in fact, the mattress was soft and relaxing with blue silk sheets covering it. He got up and found his wand resting on a wooden nightstand on his right. His room looked like it had come out from a Greek legend. Huge white columns reached up the ceiling, with marble sculptures adorning the walls, telling stories of heroes of old who fought against mythical monsters. He also noticed that his clothes were gone, and went looking for something to wear. Again, in the nightstand he found a blue silk robe that matched the sheets, along with a set of armor taken from one of the sculptures on the wall.

Light was pouring in from several windows and the room's entrance, so he made way towards it. The sight in front of him was beyond his imagination. His room was one of eight located around a circle which had a small fountain in the middle, with pure clean water pouring down the marbled sculpture of a beautiful woman. The sky was clear, with a few clouds hovering and he could smell the breeze of the see surrounding him. He got the feeling of an extreme calm that soothed him. The ground around the fountain was made out of white stone that went in a circle and ended in a street that led straight to a huge temple. He had never gone to the Parthenon, but he figured it out that was the way it would look back when it was built. Several other constructions stood on the sides of the street with the edges growing a lively green lawn. He continued walking through the streets and he was amazed when he saw that from the temple, many other paths led to many other constructions, and further, on the opposite side of the temple was a great round building. It was an entire city completely made out of Greek architecture.

But there was no sign of life.

He then decided to enter the round building, and as he approached, he distinguished a sign carved on the stone in ancient Greek that read 'ακαδημία'. Ignoring its meaning, Harry entered a room with many archways that led to an inner courtyard surrounded by a hallway that lead to many other chambers. The courtyard was enormous with a circular track course. In the middle a round stone clearing was surrounded by a thin layer of grass, and on the very center, his mentor was waiting for him.

"Welcome child" he said with a smirk on his face. "I'm glad you're finally up"

"What is this place?" asked Harry looking around.

"This city is the last ancient city of the Greek empire" Cyrus said solemnly "People once thought that the island had sunk into the ocean, thousands of years ago. I think you might have heard of it."

"Wait… you mean this" said Harry frowning and crossing his arms in disbelief "is the lost city of Atlantis? This time you lost it, mate"

"Have I really lost it?" asked Cyrus smugly "Are you certain of that boy? Look around you."

"But…" Harry said taken aback "If it's true... what happened here? Where are all the people why has no one find the city if it's not underwater?"

"You ask too many questions kid" he answered shaking his head "Sit down and I will tell you about the Lost City. Once, the great Atlantis was the last bastion of the Greek empire, more than a thousand years ago. But the ancient Greek people were not the first ones to arrive here, or so the legend says. It is said that all kinds of magic folk were drawn to this very place, due to its magic. Magic draws upon magic, and therefore many wizards and witches settled here, so to study the eternal mysteries of the universe, life and magic. But like all stories, most never have a happy ending. And so, the Atlanteans disappeared, banished in the ashes of time, and the city was lost forever. That's what the legend says…

Now, in reality, during the first magic war, the city was under siege. It was said that inside the temple, there was hidden a great secret. Of course no one could understand what it was or how to retrieve it. But the evil witch wanted it at all costs. In their last attempt of protecting the city, the first guardians opted to conceal it. To hide it forever and have everyone think that Atlantis was destroyed. The wards of the city alone make it impenetrable, unplottable and untraceable. Only the guardians and people they chose can enter the city. For centuries, it has been the training ground of exceptional wizards who protect the secret of the city."

"You mean… you were trained here?" asked Harry.

"Indeed" said Cyrus somberly "I was the last one trained by the Guardians, their last disciple…"

"But… aren't the guardians, you know…" said Harry not knowing how to put his thoughts in words.

"Dead, you mean?" asked Cyrus seriously "Of course they are. That didn't stop them, though. But they choose not to train another wizard again. Instead they left the duty of training the chosen ones to me and their last disciples. Now enough of stories, it's time we start the next phase of your training. You must be ready by the time the others arrive."

"My friends are coming here?!" asked Harry excited "When?! Have they been training like me too?"

Cyrus rolled his eyes and messed Harry's hair. He sometimes forgot how easily excited could a child become.

"Yes, they will be coming" he said as he walked towards the track's edge "And no they have not trained like you. Each one of them has had a different mentor who in turn was trained in completely different ways than I was. As you must already know, in a year's time since you left England, you and your friends shall return to continue your studies in Hogwarts. Now… I have a present for you…"

Cyrus went to a room on the north end of the training ground with Harry following closely. The room looked strangely similar to Cyrus's hut, with all kinds of weapons, armors and shields. Most of them were wrecked but nevertheless, they looked magnificent. Cyrus grabbed a chest and put it up on a lone table on the middle of the chamber. Muttering some words, the lock opened on its own accord, and the inside glowed faintly. Harry tried to look inside but before he could get anywhere near, Cyrus took a long package covered in a linen sheet and closed the chest immediately. Then he held the parcel with both hands and offered it to Harry.

"This is _Xalasmos_" he told Harry, as the eager boy unwrapped the gift from his teacher "It belonged to my predecessor. I trust you will find it useful. It has a Dragon heartstring core which you will learn to use in time. "

Inside the package there was a sword, but it was not any sword. Its dark hilt was made of a marvelous dark crystal with a blue diamond on the end. The sheet was made of the same dark stone and had silver patterns that shone brilliantly. On its blade, the sword had engraved some words in Greek that were probably its name. He could hear a faint hum in a soft tone as he swayed it in the air. He now understood what Cyrus had said when the sword had a voice of its own. It was completely enticing.

"Now, you must get to know the sword as she gets to know you. Your training will be the same of before. In the morning you will run an hour around the track with extra weights. After that, we will have some sparring lessons. After lunch you will train your body. There is a chamber similar of what the muggles call a 'gym'; two hours will be enough. Then comes the good part: magic lessons. Once you've had dinner, another hour of studying in the library and after that, a brief Occlumency practice and perhaps Legilimency as well. That's all."

"Really?" said Harry rolling his eyes "I thought that was just the beginning. What have I gotten myself into? At least you will now teach me some of the tricks you do."

The rest of the day they spent relaxing and wandering through the empty streets of the city. He quickly got over the fact that he was really on Atlantis. After ten years of being prisoner inside the cupboard of Privet Drive and, after that, discovering that he was really a wizard, nothing could really surprise him that much anymore. He didn't get too much sleep the next night, with several nightmares of dragons, swords and talking hats. The excitement for finally learning some magic had been too much.

He got up early, before dawn, and he decided to run around the city instead of the track. A few green hills stood on the distance as the sun rose on the furthest part of the city. Countless white building stood here and there through his path, silent and somber, shadows of what Atlantis had once been. He was marveled when he arrived at the city's edge, a beautiful beach that glittered against the few sunlight rays that signaled the arrival of the new day. After an hour of running he arrived the 'Academy' as Cyrus had called it.

"Off to explore the city, boy?" he asked smiling "Wonderful sight isn't it? Very well, there's time for sightseeing and time for training. On guard!"

Cyrus took out his sword and leapt forward, but Harry was ready and rolled sideways. Remembering his training, he unsheathed _Xalasmos_, and prepared for defending. Back on the island, he had finally earned the right for training in the smallest circle, but he had yet to practice inside it. Also, it was the first time that they would be using real swords as opposed to the usual wood training 'sticks'. But he felt more than ready, so, when a sideways slash came from Cyrus sword, he blocked it masterfully with his left hand.

Using the momentum of both blades, he jumped, doing a full spin on the air, and slashed his sword towards Cyrus's head who dodged it in the precise moment. However, Harry had forced him to take two steps back. Harry spun his sword and blocked another strike coming from his right. With his sword pointing down, he docked, letting his teacher's sword pass over him only to return again towards his back. Harry however had already foreseen the move and blocked it quickly and docked once again, this time leaving an opening on Cyrus's side for him to attack. However, his teacher turned quickly and stopped it.

Harry lost track of how much time had passed, but he was completely concentrated in avoiding his mentor's attack and trying to strike him down in the process. He didn't know if it was minutes or hours, but after a well aimed kick from Harry, Cyrus had to back down again.

However, he charged again aiming higher this time, making Harry lower his head. Harry took advantage of this and did a low kick, which his teacher evaded easily, and as both fighters got up their swords collided with a metallic clang.

Harry knew his teacher was stronger, but he used a technique Cyrus had taught him, consisting of using your opponent's own weight to one's advantage and deal a greater blow, but the teacher caught on quickly and swiftly blocked the strike.

"Nice done, boy" Cyrus said as both swords collided "You have learnt how to attack even when you can't move out the circle."

"You talk too much, old man" said Harry smiling.

"Time for teaching you a new lesson, _kid"_ Cyrus said with a sly smirk before he muttered a spell.

"_Treksimos"_

Everything happened to quickly for Harry to understand. All he saw was that Cyrus had somehow become a blur in front of him, and in a blink of an eye his own sword was on the ground, he had been kicked several feet away and the tip of _Katigida_ was once again an inch from his face.

"Holy sh…."

"Language, boy" said Cyrus smirking as he helped Harry up.

"What in the world was that?!" said Harry frowning "You cheated!"

"It's the first spell that I will teach you" he said returning Harry's sword to his owner "The _Treksimos_ enchantment allows the user to gain incredible speed and focus. Essentially, it slows the world down for you while you remain whit your same speed, relatively. It is very simple, but it was forgotten long time ago. It was 'upgraded' to a latin based spell called _Impetus_" Cyrus said making the quoting marks with his fingers "But it never gave the same effect, it only made the caster slightly faster, but not to the extend as the _Treksimos_. To do it, you must point your wand, or in this case your sword a bit towards you and say the incantation, but to get hold of it you must visualize how the world will be when you speed up, because if you don't, you will only see a blur and end up a mile further than you intended. Give it a try then"

Harry quickly discovered that the spell was in fact not that hard and started practicing running some drills and practicing rapidly with his sword. The feeling of the world slowing down was unlike anything he had ever felt. Even flying wasn't compared to this. He could hear his heart beating slowly and a rush that could not be put down in words. However, staying under the spell during long periods of time was extremely exhausting and left the boy panting on the ground.

"Now you understand why you had to train your body that much boy" said Cyrus while helping Harry stand up. "This kind of spell takes a heavy toll on the user's body and not anyone can use it."

"I feel like I have run a hundred miles in a minute" said Harry as he slowly walked to a stone bench on the edge of the track.

"That's enough of the spell for today, you will continue practicing tomorrow" said Cyrus patting his back "Now let's go grab something to eat and then you can rest for an hour."

Both student and teacher walked to a small building near the main temple, where Cyrus had the provisions stored.

"Er… Cyrus?"

"Yea, what's up?"

"Since I have nothing better to do…" said Harry casually "Can I go look for a book to he library? I want to see if I can learn some defensive spells on my own."

"Sure, it's the main building in the eastern plaza. Just don't take too long, you still have to practice and I have some things I need to teach you."

The library reminded him of an observatory. A circular building surrounded by white columns in every direction, with a sculpture of Athena, goddess of wisdom, just ahead of the main entrance. The interior was spacious and Harry figured that could fit at least four times the Hogwarts library. Hundreds of curved wooden bookshelves stood in every direction with countless books, rolls of parchment and tablets containing all kinds of knowledge. And right in the center, an enormous floating planetary was illuminated by sunlight that poured from an opening in the ceiling. However, to Harry's misfortune, many of the books were written in old languages, mainly in Greek and Latin, but also Welsh, Egyptian and some others he ignored.

Harry wandered through the aisles and finally found a secluded area that had books written in English. Since he didn't have a clock, he decided to look quickly for a Latin-English dictionary and grabbed the first book that caught his attention, which was titled "_The Power of the Mind". _He gave a brief glance and made way back to the Academy.

"You're late boy"

"Sorry" said Harry scratching his head "Got sidetracked"

"Doesn't matter" said Cyrus indifferently "What do you know of magic, boy?"

"Er…"

"I see…" said Cyrus shaking his head "Don't they teach you some theory behind the magic at Hogwarts? Wait, don't answer… Only at N.E.W.T levels right?"

"I think so…" said Harry shrugging "What does it have to do with the training?"

"Everything!" said Cyrus excited "If you can't understand how magic works you will never be able to improve. Most of the wizards nowadays are content with the things they learnt during their seven years at school, and a very few continue their studies when they enter the Auror department or become a healer. But even so, that is still settling for the minimum."

"Maybe they are too busy in their jobs?" said Harry unsure of his own answer.

"Lazy it's what they are!" bellowed Cyrus "For Merlin's sake, they're wizards, if they wanted they could even _make _some time to study! You don't think that Merlin himself settled for just what they 'taught' in school, do you? No! Of course not."

"Ok, just chill, I get it" said Harry rolling his eyed.

"I apologize" said Cyrus taking a deep breath "I tend to get carried away."

"I hadn't noticed" muttered Harry sarcastically.

"Enough then" interrupted Cyrus "Where was I? Oh yea, magic. What do you think is magic, boy?"

"Mhhh…." said Harry crossing his arms as he bit his lip "I don't know, like some kind of force that only wizards have? Maybe something in our blood?"

"Yes and No" answered Cyrus "You got right the part of the magic being some sort of 'force', but not only wizards and magic creatures have it. You see, magic is all around us, inside you, inside me, on the grass, on the tree, on the wind and on the cloud. Even when magic is _not_ what gives us life, it affects everything. It's like a current that flows through our bodies that we can draw and mold as we see fit. The difference between magic folk and 'muggles' it's not blood, but their ability to feel that flow. Don't ask me why, but something in our body is different from theirs, but even so, once in a while, a muggle couple gives birth to a child that can hear the magic inside."

"I… I…" Harry struggled to speak any word "I think I know what you're talking about… Ever since I arrived at the island I got this strange feeling whenever I did magic, some tingling sensation coming through my arm and leaving through my wand."

"That is right" said Cyrus "And magic is not restricted to them wands. After all, their cores are made out of a piece of a magical creature, aren't they? And, aren't we magical creatures? The difference is that these magical beasts are capable of understanding magic on instinct, in a whole different level; therefore they work as conduits for our own magic. Now, you capabilities are just on the lowest level, meaning that you rely completely in the wand. But, should you learn to understand and control how it flows through your body, you will notice that you are actually wasting much energy in ordinary spells. Once you understand, levitating a feather or changing a needle into a match takes much less energy than it did before."

"You have really thought it all through, haven't you?" asked Harry somewhat dizzy from the explanation "But I did get what you were talking about. I guess there's no easy way to do it right?"

"Correct" said Cyrus "Now, I can teach you something that will help you get a better grasp of what I just said. Remember when we were fighting the dragon?"

"How can I forget that?" said Harry "It's not every day that I get to even _see_ a Dragon. I have two on my record already, and the first one was but a month or two old."

"Well, you might remember this, then" said Cyrus as he unsheathed his sword.

"_Me'urra"_

The blade of _Kataigida _became instantly electrified, with several sparks jumping out of the polished metal. He gave a spin to the sword, which made a cracking sound as it cut through the air. Then he stretched his hand and pointed to the sky.

"_Eximus"_ he muttered and an actual lightning came out of the sword and shredded a cloud up above.

"Wicked!" whispered Harry at loss of words.

"This is elemental magic" said Cyrus seriously glancing at Harry again "It is unlike any other type of magic that you will ever encounter. There are five main elements: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Lightning. Make no mistake, this is not magic electricity I'm using here, nor it is a common thunder, it's a combination of both. Elemental magic it's the only type that is completely and purely wandless. It can be used through other means, like I did with _Kataigida. _But it is also a special sword. Her name actually means 'Thunderstorm', meaning that it was imbued with the power of the lightning. And while using an element is one thing, imbuing a weapon with it its much, much more difficult. Normal wizards often call the ones that use this type of magic as 'Elementals'. But even when you could use more than one element, very few wizards in history have actually mastered the five of them. Merlin it's the perfect example of course. "

"So are you planning to teach me on this century or what?" asked Harry desperately.

"Always rushing things, ain't that right boy?" said Cyrus smirking "Remember how you first learnt Occlumency?"

Harry's eyes widened at this, but it was too late to escape.

"Yes boy… you need to _experience _it first"

Five months passed and between all the training and studying, Harry hadn't had time to miss his friends. But once in a while, before going to sleep, he wondered where they were and how they had been training. The book that Harry had taken from the Library had been must helpful during his Occlumency training, which quickly changed to Legilimency when Cyrus couldn't even enter Harry's mind anymore. There was something else about the book that intrigued him. It was a term called Praeceptimency, the third of the mind arts, which was used not only to read a mind, but to control it. He virtually devoured the entire book and always had it for reference when practicing with Cyrus.

"Just don't try to take too much too fast, kid" Cyrus said a time when Harry had suffered from a massive headache down during April.

. His physical training had improved a lot, but the learning curve had already lowered down, and Cyrus had started focusing on defensive spells. Harry started mixing his sword skills with his wand, but realized that it was extremely difficult to concentrate on both things.

But the greatest advance during the five months was his control of the Air and Lightning elements. His thunderbolts weren't anywhere near Cyrus's but he could actually put up a good spark, and he had focused on the air element by trying to push ocean waves back into the sea. It was harder than he had imagined, and the waves hadn't even flinched at his attempts. But nevertheless, he could actually deal some nasty damage with both of the elements. The last trick that Cyrus taught him was to use the element as means of transportation.

"Apparition and portkeys aren't the only means of getting from one place to another" said Cyrus a week before his training ended "Since you have already good control of the wind element, you should be able to use it to transport yourself in an undetectable way, since you will not need to use your wand. Now think about the place you want to be…"

The first time, he actually appeared on the top of the library, nothing that couldn't be refined with a little practice. By the end of the week, Harry could already vanish from one spot to another in the blink of an eye.

"I have seen the Snake blokes doing this" said Harry once "But they always arrive in a dark smoke cloud or something like that."

"That is because it's not the wind element they use, but a variation" replied Cyrus "They call it, with no imagination at all I might add, 'smoke travel'. It has the same basics, but it doesn't require the wind mastery."

"Cheaters" Harry muttered with a smirk on his face.

Finally, the time had come for his friends to join him in the lost city, and Harry could not help feeling nervous. Not only was he going to see them after one year of only seeing Cyrus, but they were also going to return to their "normal" world; what would they tell people?

One thing he was sure of, there wasn't a chance in hell that he would return to the Dursleys' house in Privet Drive. Not even if his life depended on it. He wasn't sure how, but he was certain that he would convince Dumbledore not to send him there again. When Harry asked Cyrus what he was going to do, he got a kind of dreamy look on his face and he said something about his kids missing their dad too much, making Harry a little bit jealous.

"You're going to dig a trench if you continue pacing, boy" said Cyrus, who was resting comfortably on a sofa, with his legs on the arm stand. "They aren't coming for an hour so you might as well sit down and read a book or something"

"I can't concentrate" said Harry quickly.

"I figured it out as much…"

Now that Harry did wanted time to go faster, the clock betrayed him and every minute seemed like an eternity. 4:40 it marked, only twenty minutes for them to arrive. He wondered if his feet could catch on fire if he continued pacing, but his nervousness got the best of him and refrained from stopping.

Fifteen long minutes later, Harry jumped and ran toward the main temple, followed closely by a half-awake Cyrus, who had dozed off half an hour before. Harry started pacing again, in front of the entrance of the temple, and his teacher finally caught on.

"You're getting old" said Harry as Cyrus panted for air.

"I'm not in the mood for your jokes, boy" replied Cyrus glaring.

"How are they arriving?" asked Harry ignoring him.

"I ignore it" said Cyrus leaning against the temple's wall "There are too many traveling methods for me to guess. I can't see the future, you know? So do us a favor and relax."

"I'm going to miss you, old geezer" said Harry joking "You aren't that bad for a teacher you know?"

"Right back at you, kid" he said messing Harry's hair. "Finally, here they are!"


	2. The four torches

**Chapter 2: The four flames**

A light flared in the sky above the ancient temple, and a blue beam struck the ground, just a few yards away from Harry and his mentor, leaving two persons behind. After the light subdued, Harry was able to make out who they were, and recognized a girl he had not seen since last year. Along with her, a woman stood defiantly, with her arms crossed, smirking at the two blokes.

The woman had a slender, curvy figure that could put to shame any of the statues of the goddesses. She was clothed in an unusual way for a witch. Black leather trousers, hugging her hips perfectly, a matching jacket, under which she wore a light yellow heart-stopping top, and black high heeled boots. She had a perfectly tanned skin, that enhanced her face features quite nicely and her long, smooth raven hair fell just below her shoulders. But the most enticing trait was her pure golden hazel eyes that would make any bloke lose his mind. From her waist hung a menacing looking sword.

Harry then glanced at the girl next to the woman, and realized that she had changed tremendously over the summer. No longer she had the bookworm look on her, and lost was her trademark bushy hair. Instead, her wavy honey brown hair was tied up nicely in a pony tail, with a few strands falling to her face. Even from the distance, Harry realized that her bucked teeth were gone as well. She wore blue denim trousers that fitter perfectly, showing her developing woman features. She also had a beige leather jacket with a black blouse and behind her back Harry clearly saw the hilt of a sword, supported by a single strap from her shoulder.

The girl took a few steps as Harry did, both with serious look on their faces.

"Long time, Harry" she said crossing her arms.

"Yes, it has been Hermione" he answered equally somberly.

But after a few minutes of heavy silence, in which both mentors frowned slightly, Hermione finally leapt forward and embraced Harry tightly.

"I missed you so much, you prat" she said between sobs.

"Me too, Hermione, me too" Harry said patting her back. He then released her and looked up and down and smiled. "Looking good huh?"

Hermione blushed slightly and returned the smile.

"Well, thank you, kind sir. You don't look to bad yourself" she said slyly "No, really. You are not as bit as scrawny as you were before. And you have grown a couple inches too!"

"All thanks to _this_ guy" he said pointing to Cyrus "Had me training day and night. Seriously it was almost child abuse. Oh, that's right, Hermione this is Cyrus. Cyrus, my friend Hermione"

The man then walked towards Hermione and shook her hand friendly.

"A pleasure to meet you Hermione" he said with a slight nod.

"Likewise, Mr…."

"Just leave it at Cyrus" he interrupted quickly.

"A bit jumpy Cy?" said the woman as she closed the distance between her and Cyrus and smirked "How have you been, oh dear friend of mine?"

"Had to endure this_ prat_ for a year" he said ruffling Harry's hair "How do you think I am? _Exhausted. _By the way, Harry this is Lynette. Lyn this is Harry Potter."

"At last I meet you Harry" she said as she took his hand "You have your mother's eyes, but you're the spitting image of James."

"You knew my parents?" Harry asked excitedly.

"You could say that" said Lynette with a warm smile. "Where are the other two, Cy?"

"Two?" said Hermione frowning "What do you mean by _two_? We are supposed to be five!"

"Draco's not coming with you" said Cyrus with a blank expression.

"What? _Why?_" asked Harry looking from Cyrus to Lyneth angrily.

"Cause his mentor can't leave his current residence" said Cyrus "And because he can't be seen with you when he returns to his family. I trust you understand our reasons."

"Yeah, sort of…" said Harry relaxing a bit.

"So Harry!" interrupted Hermione excitedly "Wha…"

Harry figured she was about to ask him what he had learnt but a second light flashed in the sky, and in a few seconds, two other people had appeared.

"Ron!" said Hermione before running towards their friend to crush him in a tight hug, which the red head quickly answered.

"Hermione, is that you?!" said Ron astounded "Merlin, you have changed a lot!"

That seemed the understatement of the year of course.

Harry gave a quick glance at his two best friends and smiled. Ron had grown quite a bit too, and his usually long red hair was now cut sharply in a military style. In fact, his attire screamed 'ARMY' all around, his shoes, green camo pants and dark green jacket. His stance had also changed, and he stood rigidly, as if waiting for orders. Harry took a few steps and embraced his friend, entirely manly of course.

"Glad to see you, mate" said Harry smirking. "Did you enroll or something?"

Ron snorted and looked from his mate to his mentor, who waited seriously behind him.

"That's one way to put it…" he answered "This guy here is Jackson"

"Colonel Howard Jackson" Interrupted the man in a deep voice.

Harry took in the man for the first time and noticed he looked exactly like a character taken out from a muggle war movie. His attire was exactly the same as Ron's but with and eagle insignia on his shoulders. He had short blonde hair and he wore a pair of aviator sunglasses. His stance was similar to Ron's, with his arms behind back, radiating an immense aura of authority. Without hesitation Harry stretched his hand and gave a firm, strong shake to the man.

"Are you part of the American Army or something" asked Hermione as she introduced herself to the man, but under his serious look she got nervous "….er …. Sir"

"Not exactly"

"Nice to see you again _Colonel"_ said Cyrus a bit mockingly.

"At least he's not yelling this time" said Lynette smirking as she too greeted him.

"Always a pleasure" said Jackson sternly. An awkward silence fell between the three adults and Harry, Ron and Hermione frowned and took glances from one to the other. Finally, Jackson broke into a smile and the three mentors embraced.

"How are you, bunch of whiny wimps?" he said chuckling "Did you manage to get something through your kids' skull?"

"Hey we are no kids!" interrupted Ron.

"Who said you could move?" said his teacher sternly, making Ron fall into his rigid stance and look forward.

"Sir, Forgive me, sir"

"Oh my god" said Hermione laughing "You actually tamed him."

"Took me enough time" replied Jackson gravely "At ease."

Ron let out a deep sigh and relaxed at last.

"So, Harry! Ron!" said Hermione jumping excitedly. Lyn just rolled her eyes, knowing how much the girl had waited to ask her friends about their training.

"Where did you go?! What did you learn? Was it dangerous?" she started launching question after question without letting both boys answer.

"Same old Hermione" muttered Ron amusedly.

"Yeah" said Harry grinning "But I still missed it."

"Me too" he answered.

"Are you even paying attention? You prats…" said Hermione glaring at them.

"Not really" said both at the same time.

But before they could continue joking, the voice of the three adults got their attention. Apparently something had gone wrong, and they slowly approached their mentors.

"What do you mean the island was destroyed?!" bellowed Lynette glaring at Cyrus "How could you let something like that happen. Why didn't you call for backup?"

"Here she goes" said Jackson rolling shaking his head "But really, how do you destroy an entire island?"

"A Shadow Dragon?" interjected Harry nervously.

"_What?!"_ said four voices at unison.

"You're joking" said Lynette glaring at Cyrus "The boy is joking right?"

But the serious face of Harry's teacher was enough answer. Harry felt Hermione pull arm and frantically whisper in his ear, and Ron didn't fall back behind.

"A _Shadow Dragon_, Harry?" muttered Hermione furiously while he just nodded in response.

"I did manage to slow it down until the pillar brought us here" said Harry but the angry voice of Lynette drew their attention once again.

"When did this happen, Cyrus?!" she hollered in his face.

"Easy tiger" he said quickly "It was nothing our boy here couldn't handle"

"The _boy_?!_"_ asked Jackson bewildered and then continued yelling at Cyrus "How did he help? Are you out of your freaking mind?! It was a…"

"A shadow dragon" interrupted Harry again "Yes we heard. It was pretty simple to distract him, though. It would've gotten this old fart if I hadn't come to his rescue."

"And may I ask" said Lynette menacingly, making Harry take two steps back "How did you handle the Dragon? Or must I remind you that they aren't even corporeal?"

"Actually it was thanks to Hermione here I did it" said Harry smiling at his friend who had a bewildered look on her face. "I just did one of her spells. Care to guess which one?"

"_Really?!" _said Hermione jumping up and down grinning like an idiot before hugging Harry again. "It was the _Lumos _one, right? There's no other chance or…"

"See?" Harry said looking to Cyrus "I didn't tell you she was the brightest witch her age for nothing. Yes Hermione, I stopped him using the _Radix_ on his eyes."

"Simple and effective" said Cyrus proudly.

"Wait" said Jackson "What is this spell? Did the girl invent it? But she's thirteen; she couldn't possibly have learned how to make spells at such age!"

His rant reminded them a lot of Ron and the glare from both women managed to shut him immediately.

"When did this happen, Harry?" asked Ron with his arms crossed.

"A few months ago"

"You mean…" said Lynette "You have been in Atlantis all this time?!"

"This is Atlantis?!" bellowed Hermione and Lynette just rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, it's amazing! I can't believe it Lyn, why didn't you tell me?! Does it have a library? Is there any people living here? Wasn't it supposed to be underwater?"

"Calm down Hermione" Ron said smirking "Let the adults explain before barraging them with questions. One would think that the time you spent in Hogwarts' library was enough for a lifetime!"

"Oh shut it Ron" she said angrily and smacked him on his shoulder.

"When is Rob coming?" asked Harry to the three adults. Cyrus frowned at this and looked in the sky. Lynette had a worried look on her face and went into the temple quickly. Jackson crossed his arms and also gazed into the sky. A couple moments later, Hermione's teacher came back confused.

"He was supposed to arrive before us" she said "His crystal it's still powered."

"Man…" said Ron with a sigh "We have been here for only five minutes…"

"I know mate" said Harry.

"Silence boys" said Cyrus "I'm trying to think here. Jackson can you contact the old man?"

Jackson took a strange device made of a strange metal with a crystal on the center. He then tapped a series of symbols on the edge but nothing happened.

"No response"

"Then, there's no time" said Lynette standing ready to unsheathe her sword "We need to go rescue them."

"Who are we rescuing?" said a voice behind them.

Out of nowhere two other persons had arrived.

The first was an old, bald man, with Chinese orange robes. His gray beard and mustache reached low to the floor and he leaned against a wooden staff as he walked slowly. Harry recognized the outfit as one from a martial arts muggle television show he had once seen when Dudley had fell asleep; a shaolin monk. His dark eyes pierced through Harry and he felt as if they were immersing into his soul. After a couple of moments, the monk smiled and bowed slightly with his palms together. Cyrus and the other mentors returned the gesture accordingly followed then by Harry and the others.

Next to him another boy stood. His black hair had grown longer during the last year and was put in a loose pony tail. His electric blue eyes surveyed the scene, looking up and down at his friends. He wore a blue and white robe that hung loosely on his shoulders, revealing a portion of his chest, and there was no sight of his wand or any other weapon whatsoever. As his mentor, he also bowed slightly, making some strands from his hair fall down. He approached Harry and stretched his hand and silently, they embraced in a one arm hug. It was until later that both of them realized that a noticeable surge of magic surrounded them for that moment.

"Hey mate" said Rob finally "Long time no see"

"Too long"

After releasing him, he turned to Ron and Hermione and without hesitation she ran and hugged him fiercely along with Ron. Harry chuckled and he joined in his friend's embrace, and after a year, the four of them were together again. A warm smile spread in the four adults as their apprentices met and they looked at each other knowingly.

"Master Shen" said Cyrus "I'm pleased to see you."

"As am I, young one" he said in a calm voice, with a strong oriental accent. "But I'm afraid I am the bearer of ill news. As Cyrus must have already told you, one of the islands has already been destroyed. But that is not the graver news. Our spy inside the circle has been murdered, not before revealing the location of the other members of the order."

"Order?" asked Ron "What order?"

"Do not interrupt, cadet" said Jackson sternly, getting to shut Ron immediately. Harry surveyed his friends, realizing how much the year apart had changed them "Please continue Master".

"All of our agents were evacuated just in time, but their positions were compromised. I'm afraid we are running out of safe houses in an alarming rate. Our first task is to regroup with the others" said Shen seriously "But before that, we must return the children to their families."

"Oh no" said Harry bewildered "No way, I'm not returning to the Dursleys"

"You might be surprised, young one" the old man answered.

"But…" said Hermione confused "Aren't we going to keep training? Cyrus said that we are nowhere near the Snakes level".

"And what are we going to tell our families?" asked Ron nervously "We have been gone for a year! They might think we are dead or something as bad!"

"Something as bad, Ronald?" asked Jackson incredulously.

"That we escaped" he answered.

Harry had to agree with Ron. If his mother was as he had described her, he would be in a real problem if she thought that they had escaped. He could almost see Hermione's and Ron's parents yelling at Dumbledore for not taking care of their children. But Rob had also came with them, so the headmaster would probably be desperate to know where his grandson had gone.

"There is something that I still don't understand" said Robert "I think I speak for the four of us when I say that it would be really helpful if we knew the _real_ story behind the snakes and all that crap. Don't think that we haven't noticed the half truths and the confusing bits of history that you throw to shut us up. Even you can't hide it Shen."

Hermione's furious nod was to be expected as she agreed with Robert.

"It is not I who you should be asking, young one" Shen answered calmly. "Perhaps when you return, your questions will be answered."

The three mentors gazed up as if looking for an invisible sign and then looked down at the four children in front of them.

"It is time for you to leave, kids" said Jackson abruptly.

"But wait" tried to interrupt Ron, but Lynette spoke then, leaving no chance for them to complain.

"You have taken another step in your journey" she said sternly "Train, study, but most importantly, leave your life at maximum."

"Lynette stop!" bellowed Hermione

"May the old guardians aid you in your endeavors" said Shen.

And before anyone of them could complain, a blue light engulfed them and they were gone, leaving the lost island empty once again.

The blue light vanished and Harry realized they were back at the chamber under the forbidden forest. The hollow figure of an old man stood gazing at the arrival of the four children. Robert looked around and frowned when he didn't see the rest of the so called guardians. Noticing his distress, Merlin answered his unspoken question.

"You surely didn't expect us to be all the time in here, did you?" he said in an amused tone.

"Oh well" mumbled Rob "So what's the plan now? We march to Hogwarts and announce our return or what?"

"I don't know about you" said Ron "But I'm kind of nervous"

"You will find soon enough what you must do" said Merlin "But first, I have bad news… a mission for you, children."

Harry noticed the serious tone of Merlin and his body tensed. On instinct, he reached for his sword and gripped the hilt tightly. The elder man noticed how the younglings had become nervous and gave them a reassuring smile before continuing.

"The book of magic has disappeared."

The reaction was instant. Rob's eyes opened widely, Hermione's covered his mouth and gasped, Ron clutched his head with both hands and Harry scowled and gripped the sword harder.

"Who took it?" Harry asked "And how did they enter the chamber? I thought only we could enter."

"Nobody took it…" was the man's answer "I'm afraid during the years, the book has been in so much contact with magic that it developed a magic conscience. That's how it first got to you, Robert. The book reached out for the chosen one that was in most need. This time it simply did the same."

"Oh! I get it!" said Hermione "we have to look for the other chosen ones, right? We are only missing three of them."

"Wonderful, sharp mind you have, my dear" said Merlin smiling softly in a grandfatherly way "Indeed you must seek out who is in possession of the book and help and train them."

"Wait" said Harry frowning "Aren't they going to be trained like us? If we are supposed to fight they must at least receive the same kind of training we had."

"Unfortunately, the recent events prevented us from giving the same… education to the other chosen ones. The Shadow Dragon, the island that it destroyed, your arrival at Atlantis, the murder of the spy has forced your teachers to take severe precautions. That island was one of the beacons, and a sacred place for the guardians. But I think you have yet to understand a very important fact. You are still children, as simple as that. You will not be encouraged to get into fights until we deem you ready to do so. There are people that will contain the menace until the time is right. In the meantime, you need to continue your training and studies, but not at expense of living your life or you will regret it forever. Do I make myself clear?"

Harry and the others contemplated what the old wizard had said and nodded.

"Very well" Merlin said in a deep tone "You will now return to castle Hogwarts. Another task for you is to restore these chambers during the course of the next year, as they will become a safe haven where you can retire, train and meet whenever we call for you. I suggest you leave your… arsenal here and change into your school uniforms."

When he finished saying the words, a small bundle of cloaks appeared next to the stone pedestal where the book had once been. Hermione took her clothes and went to one of the empty chambers on the hallway to change. The three boys just turned away from one another and changed quickly.

"I think I don't fit in these anymore" said Harry looking at his trousers that reached a couple of inches above his feet. The others had the same problem and a grunt from the hallway told them that Hermione was having trouble too. The old wizard chuckled a bit and, mumbling something, their clothes stretched to the proper size for them. Hermione finally came from the hallway satisfied with her attire.

"It's time for you to continue your journey" said Merlin.

A blue light blinded the four teenagers and when they opened they found themselves under the shadows of the Forbidden Forest. After looking at each other for a couple of seconds, a huge smile spread on their faces, and something that they hadn't feel in a whole year hit them.

'_We are home!' _ Thought Harry bewildered.

Not taking another moment they started running through the dark forest, not caring about dark creatures or centaurs. Just one thing on their mind: getting back to their school. They kept going in a speed that was far more considerable than what he remembered. Hermione was still the lighter of them all and as such she was in front of the three blokes.

"Merlin, Hermione!" yelled Ron "The girl sure can't wait to get back to the library"

Hermione turned around for a second glaring at him, which made him open his eyes wide in terror and stop talking.

Streaks of afternoon light started pouring from the three tops and the edge of the forest appeared before their eyes. They picked up their speed and soon they were a few feet from leaving the darkened grounds.

"STOP NOW!"

All of them braked immediately after the startling call from Rob, making Ron crash to Hermione. Both of them blushed and they quickly got up, without looking one another.

"What was that for?" said Harry frowning at Rob, who had a calculating look on his face.

"We haven't decided what our cover story will be" he said calmly "And it would be a good idea if we explored the grounds and try to get some information about us."

Hermione seemed to understand and nodded.

"We must arrive together, no sense in appearing at different times, that's for sure. Perhaps we could say that last year we saw something that caught our attention in the Forest and suddenly we appeared here one year later."

Harry thought the idea for a while trying to find an alternative, but they couldn't reveal that they had been training.

"Can you all do Occlumency?" he asked them and they responded by nodding "Then I think Hermione is right… if word was out they we have been training, the Snakes could be drawn to us much faster. However, we can't afford someone looking into our minds. That's why we need to shield our minds. The story of not knowing where we have been seems to be the best idea for me."

"Yea" said Ron "seems ok to me"

"I agree" said Rob.

"Then we need to go inside the castle, or at least get some information" said Harry. A loud bark was heard on the distance, and Harry smiled. "And I think I know exactly we are going to get it."

* * *

Hagrid was feeling unusually sad that afternoon. After all it had been exactly one year since the four children had disappeared. A tear fell on his cheek and he sobbed faintly as he swallowed a gulp directly from the bottle of firewhiskey. He reminisced of the times that Harry had come asking for help in their search from the Sorcerer's stone, making him feel guilty for revealing so much and placing some first years in so much danger.

A faint knock waked him up from his daydreaming, and he staggered to get the door. A round, childish face greeted him with a contagious smile. The girl in front of him could not be older than twelve, but he couldn't remember her as much as he forced his mind to do so. Perhaps it was the firewhiskey playing tricks to him. The little blonde girl asked him if she could come inside and he gladly obliged, not before asking her what he could help her with. Somehow the girl reminded him of someone he had met before.

"I wanted to ask you something, Hagrid" said the little girl in a cute voice "Is it okay with you?"

Hagrid chuckled softly at the girl's antics and told her that it was no problem.

"Do you know what happened to Harry Potter?" she asked in the most humble and innocent voice "I'm writing an essay about him for History of Magic and I wanted to know if somebody had any idea what happened to him."

Hagrid was taken aback from the question for the girl, but the inquisitive eyes from the girl forced him to remind him of James and Lily's son and he could not control the tears that started to fall.

"I'm sorry" said the girl looking worried "I didn't mean to make you sad! I'm so sorry Hagrid!"

"Is okay, don' worry" the huge man told her "It's just that… I cared for them very much…"

"But what happened? Why hasn't Dumbledore gone looking for him."

Hagrid closed his fists so hard his knuckles turned white.

"He couldn't find them!" he said between sobs and couldn't stop talking this time "The mos' powerful wizard in England couldn't find 'im. Was just after Gryffindor won the house cup. They were so excited and they went to the lake, ye' know? To celebrate 'n hang around before they went to their own. I was 'ere doing some ground keeping chores and suddenly Dumbledore comes in saying that the children were gon'. The families of Harry's friends were very sad. After that, an immense search began nationwide but not even the unspeakables found trace of the lil' ones."

"The unspeakables?" asked the little girl.

"Department of Mysteries, I think, but if Dumbledore couldn't find'em I don't think anyone can." Hagrid answered sadly. "After six months of searching, people started giving up but Dumbledore held hope. That was just 'til now."

The girl looked surprised and saddened.

"Why?" she asked.

"Rob was his grandson, and it hit him very bad. School hasn't been the same without his soft smile and that twinkle of his eyes. I'd never seen the Headmaster so sad in my life. I think it's not the first time that he loses someone close to him. They are making a memorial for Harry and his friends tonight. Is the day they 'ere gone."

"Oh…" said the girl looking to the ground "That's so sad Mr. Hagrid"

"I know sweetie" he said sadly "And no Mr. It's just Hagrid"

"Well I need to go back before dark, ok?" the little girl said "And don't worry, I don't think they are gone."

With that, she got up and waved at the groundskeeper before closing the door.

"What a sweet girl" said Hagrid before taking another gulp from the firewhiskey "Wait... I didn't catch her name…"

* * *

He got up and went for the door, but he found that the girl was already gone.

The House cup celebration was unusually quiet that year, only the Slytherin table seemed to be excited for the end of the school year and their victory. Dumbledore stood seriously as he gave the trophy to Snape who raised it facing towards his house. Nobody noticed the door of the great hall open and close on its own.

The old wizard then gazed upon his students and took a deep breath.

"Congratulations to Slytherin house for their excellent performance during the school year. Another year has come and gone with its ups and downs and I sincerely hope you have found this year enjoyable during your studies" the Headmaster then took a deep breath and glanced to the floor for a second. "Now, as you may remember, we will be celebrating a memorial for our lost students and everyone is invited to join us."

As the whole student body marched towards, Minerva McGonagall made way towards the Headmaster who looked terribly saddened.

"I'm so sorry Albus" she said holding his arm lightly.

"Hope is the last thing an old man holds on to" he said softly "Where there is hope, there is possibility, Minerva."

The stern professor gave him small smile and joined him in his way towards the grounds near the lake. They were soon joined by the rest of the staff who marched silently behind the students. Next to the door, a group of blue cloaked wizards stood next to a round man with a striped suit and a lime green bowel hat. The minister of magic greeted Dumbledore solemnly and walked next to him.

"The unspeakables had made their last efforts with the _relocator_, Albus" said Fudge grimly "I'm afraid their results were not positive. My sincere condolences, old friend."

Snape then approached the headmaster and bowed slightly with an emotionless look on his face. Dumbledore understood and deviated from the path to speak with the potions master privately.

"Severus" said Dumbledore.

"Headmaster" the man replied "I did as you asked."

Dumbledore looked down, knowing what the former Death Eater was going to say.

"There has not been a word from anyone in the… group. They are just as astonished as we are, Professor. From what I have gathered, no one is sure if they had really disappeared or if you have placed them in secure place."

"Let us hope that is a good sign" replied the old wizard.

"Perhaps it is indeed positive that they did not have any news."

"I don't know what's going to happen if we don't find Harry on time" said Dumbledore.

Snape was confused about the statement and voiced his concern.

"Is it about the prophecy?"

Dumbledore just nodded and left Snape behind to continue his way down to the grounds. Two sets of chairs were set up in rows, and four white short white columns with a small blue flame over them. In the pillars, the names of the four children were inscribed. The headmaster took a seat on the first row, where the Weasley family sat mostly silent except for the incessant sobs from the mother. Next to them a couple was sitting, the man hugging his wife who cried against his shoulder. He glanced through the faces of the other children. Ginny Weasley held the hand of her eldest brother and her friend Luna sat next to her with her head down.

"Albus?" asked Arthur Weasley to the headmaster, with a distraught tone "Did they find anything?"

The silence of the headmaster was enough answer and Molly's sobs became louder.

After a couple minutes, the seats were finally filled. Everyone stood silent as the Minister walked to the front and taking his hat and facing the crowd gathered.

"Today we gather here to remember. Remember a group of extraordinary students that during their first year they started showing remarkable skill and knowledge in magic. This very same day, after having won the house cup for Gryffindor for the first time in six years, these four children arrived at the lake shore to spend a few moments. That day we lost the hope of the entire wizarding world, the boy-who-lived, light in the shadows and sole survivor of the killing curse. But even more important than the savior of our world, he was a student, a boy and a friend. Another three innocent souls were also lost that day, none more important than the other. Harry Potter, Robert Dumbledore, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley, may these torches never die while we remember them."

* * *

"Oh my god" said Hermione almost crying "My parents are there."

From the edge of the forest, the three teenagers saw how the four pillars were magically set up by McGonnagall and Flitwick.

"So we wait then?" asked Ron anxiously.

"I don't know" said Harry "We should wait for Rob before anything happens. I can't believe how he disappeared; I hope the headmaster can't see him though. Not yet at least."

"Ron, your family is here" said Hermione.

"I don't want to even think about what they must be going through" said Harry.

"Yeah" said Ron "Hagrid did make it sound it was really bad."

"Maybe we should have thought about it before we left" said Hermione a bit saddened.

"What's done is done" replied Harry "We can't change it now. It's time to face everyone now."

The whole Weasley family walked down the castle's entrance and took the path towards the lake. For a minute Ginny looked towards the forest and the four of them had to hide. With a quick wave of their wands they did some quick disillusionment charms to avoid being discovered.

"Everyone is coming" said a voice behind them.

"Merlin!" yelled Hermione "Rob, how did u know where we were?"

Suddenly the headmaster's grandson materialized in front of them and they saw that his eyes were different. His pupils had stretched and formed the symbol of the guardians. However, not a second later, his eyes returned to their usual clear blue and circular pupils.

"These eyes are not just for show" he said with a smirk on his face.

Harry chuckled and glanced towards the castle. The doors opened once again and Dumbledore strode out with a man he didn't recognize.

"He's the minister of magic" said Rob "I heard him say that the Unspeakables couldn't find us."

"Then Hagrid was right" said Hermione "Even the Department of Mysteries was looking for us, whatever that is…"

Harry saw how Dumbledore sat next to the Weasleys and the Grangers, and couldn't avoid the feeling of sadness that filled him. He didn't have anyone expecting him. No one will ever come looking for him. Nobody would feel relieved when he appeared.

A single tear fell down his cheek.

Robert suddenly felt weird, like something was wrong, but couldn't place what. He looked around and met Harry's gaze. When he saw the despaired look he wore, he understood instantly what was happening.

"I won't leave you alone, mate" said Rob seriously, and placed a hand on his shoulder "None of us will. You have to trust us. I was alone on the orphanage too and I have a good idea of how you feel. "

Hermione turned around when she heard him comforting Harry and she ran and gave him a fierce hug. Ron walked towards him as well, and soon the four friends were embraced.

"We'll force them to take you to the Burrow, no matter what" said Ron determined "And you know my mom already loves you, so don't you ever think that no one will be waiting for your return."

"And my parents already think highly of you all" said Hermione "For all they know, you saved _them_ and their own daughter".

Harry chuckled and cleaned his tears.

"We need to decide how we are going to do it" he said.

Hermione mumbled under her breath and got a thoughtful look on her face as she surveyed the scene. She looked at the four torches and a smirk formed on her face.

"Oh I know that look" said Ron "Spit it out, tell us your plan"

Hermione held out her tongue out to Ron and whispered inaudible words to her friends.

* * *

After the words from the minister, one by one, the people present stepped forward and stood in front of each stone pillar for a moment. Then returning to their places, they gave their condolences to the families of the lost children.

Dumbledore stood rigid the whole time, but the look on his eyes revealed how truly saddened he was. There were simply no words that could cheer him up. After everyone had passed by the pillars, it was time for the families to step in front. The eight Weasleys went towards their youngest son and brother torch on the left, as the grangers walked to their only daughters on the right. On the center pillars, Dumbledore approached the right one as Hagrid took the one in the left. A few words where whispered and the torches flared for the moment.

Dumbledore glanced to the other families and walked with them to their seats. The entire crowd kept silent while the families paid their respects to their lost ones.

"I…" began the headmaster as he approached the Grangers "I have no words to express how sorry I am. I should have taken better care of them. They were my responsibility. I…"

"You did all you could" said Mr. Granger barely managing to hold his voice "We just didn't realize that this world was so dangerous. Maybe we should have never let Hermione come here."

"She would have been exposed no matter what" said the Headmaster "I just… I just wished I had not been so reckless."

"It is nobody's fault" said Arthur Weasley "And for all I know, the muggle world isn't that safe…"

"Enough" said Molly between sobs "It's not the time to argue. Our little babies are gone, and I don't want to spend this time discussing whose fault it was."

"You're very right, Molly" said Dumbledore and the Grangers nodded as well.

The headmaster then raised his wand into the sky, and every wizard and witch present followed him. A small bright light appeared on the tip of their wands. Five minutes later, the lights subdued and only the torches remained.

Dumbledore stood up and everyone prepared to leave when something called their attention. Through his body, the headmaster started feeling something unusual. A strong wind started blowing from the Forbidden Forest, cold and chilling as the night. Everyone stayed put, startled by the strange happenings.

"Mom" said the young voice of Ginny Weasley "What's happening?"

Nobody seemed able to answer her questions in their state of shock. Then what happened next made the headmaster sadden even more, and a collective gasp came from the whole student body.

Before anyone understood what was happening… the wind blew harder and the torches died down.

"No!" cried Molly Weasley as the wind blew harder and the torches did not reappear. The magic fire was not supposed to die for years, but in a second the four of them were gone.

"Albus" said Arthur disconcerted "Please tell me this doesn't mean what I think it means."

"It is a bad omen right" spoke Mrs. Granger at least, between cries. "Is our little girl d…"

"I don't know" interrupted Dumbledore, but his voice betrayed him.

Whispers began, and the Aurors grew inpatient as they covered the Minister and the students.

"Shacklebolt" muttered Fudge "What is happening? Is there a wizard behind the wind charm? I want to know immediately."

"I'm not sure Minister" the dark man replied "But our sensors did not detect any magic being performed nor any sort of wind charm."

Back on the front row Ginny and Luna started feeling scared and they held their hands strongly. Charlie started looking towards the Forest but couldn't see anything. Bill noticed the look of his brother and stopped him from taking a step.

"If this is a spell" he said, putting an arm on his shoulder "It is some kind of old magic, those fires do not die down easily. I have only seen that kind of magic on Egypt, inside the older tombs, and in Hogwarts."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Charlie

"You must have seen it too" his brother answered "Hogwarts in an extremely old magic building. With so much magic being done inside, the construction creates a sort of magic conscience."

"Couldn't have said it better" said the voice of Filius Flitwick behind them "There is only a quite handful of wind charms and they lack the power to kill the bluebell flames, especially the ones created by Dumbledore. No, this was something else. Perhaps a greater power is sending us a message."

"Oh I hope you're wrong Professor" said Charlie saddened "I don't think my mom could take it."

"Filius" said Dumbledore approaching the short professor "Are you certain that the torches were placed correctly on the runes?"

"Certainly" he answered "Professor Babbling inscribed them on the pillars and I myself put them in place. What does this means, Albus?"

With a concerned look on his face Snape came strolling towards the headmaster and gave a short bow to the families of the lost children.

"There was no flare of Dark Magic professor" the head of Slytherin announced "and this is not normal wind. There is some other force at hand here."

"Check the wards" said Dumbledore monotonically "Ask for some help from the Aurors"

The headmaster glanced at the eldest Weasley brother and with a short bow the former student understood and started walking with the rest of the staff. The wind only grew stronger but changed direction. Soon the whole crowd was surrounded, and then a single lightning fell on the distance. Shrieks and desperate cries were heard among the students and some pulled their wands aiming for an invisible foe.

"Albus! What is happening?!" bellowed the Minister as he approached the Headmaster covering his face to protect himself from the wind.

"Did you see that?" yelled an Auror "The wind blew harder when we wanted to go to the castle!"

Everyone who heard the announcement lowered their wands and glanced at the four pillars. The rest of the staff returned to the front row where the Headmaster stood transfixed, trying to understand the meaning of what was happening. Suddenly the wind stopped, at such alarming rate, that a chill coursed to everyone's spine.

A howl was heard on the distance.

"Did you see the lightning?!" yelled Fred.

"There aren't even any clouds!" continued George.

Dumbledore looked up and realized the twins were correct. The sky was clear as water. Everyone grew nervous and started glancing to all directions, but saw nothing. The quiet sobs of Molly Weasley and Jane Granger awakened him from his trance and quickly waved his wand.

"The wards are intact" Dumbledore announced after a couple minutes "We must send a team to the forbidden forest, check for anything out of place."

The few Aurors and the staff looked at each other anxiously and stood rigid at the mention of the castle's woods. After they had relaxed, a group of five Aurors along with Dumbledore himself and half of Hogwarts staff, prepared to make way for the Forest, but they stopped in their tracks.

In a split second, red flames erupted from each of the pillars, with so much force, that the heat they radiated made everyone take a step back. After the heat went down enough for them to see again, the sight that met them froze everyone.

In front of the pillars, four teenagers were looking confused at the crowd.


	3. An unexpected Reception

**A/N: **I'm so sorry I haven't posted all this time… but I have been busy with school and work. I barely finished today and will try to start the next chapter, hopefully to finish it in short time (if work doesn't kill me first). Anyways I hope you like it….

Please leave reviews!

**Chapter 3: An unexpected Reception**

Nobody dared to move. The silence that fell on the school grounds was thick and tense. More than a hundred pairs of eyes were fixed on the newcomers. A few people blinked rapidly, making sure that they were not dreaming. A couple of seconds passed but felt like years for Harry and his friends. Nobody seemed to understand how the four children had appeared.

But they had a plan and they needed to follow it.

"What blazes did just happen?" said Ron bewildered gazing at the crowd. Harry had to keep himself from smirking, and managed to frown as he too surveyed the scene.

"I told you we shouldn't have gone to the forest, Harry" said Hermione in a mixture of concern and disgust "Now, something brought us back to the school and everyone was looking for us."

"You're so quick to blame, Hermione" said Rob as he crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow when he noticed how many people were staring at them. "Weren't you the one that said that there was no real danger on the forest?"

"No I don't think I said that"

"Stop" said Harry "We could at least tell them that we are all right and nothing bad happened to us. By the way, can anyone remember how we got here?"

"No, I don't think so" said Ron and then he tilted his head and smiled "Hey! Mom and dad are here too! Hey mum!"

But the reaction was unlike anything they had imagined. In a split second, a couple dozen of wands were pointed at each one of them and they were quickly surrounded by Aurors.

"Umm… Listen" said Ron backing down with his hands up trying to calm down the confused wizards in front of him.

"Who are you!" bellowed one of them "Identify yourselves and get rid of the disguises!"

"This is a mistake" began Harry "Please just…"

"Silence!" called another Auror "Surrender your wands in this instant!"

The children terrified looked at each other, but with an assuring nod, Harry told them to do as they said. The crowd was getting louder and the furious whispers became unbearable. Hermione and Ron quickly took their wands and Harry followed them. But Rob, who kept it in the invisible holster that his grandfather had given him, extended his hand and the wand suddenly became visible.

"_Stupefy!"_

Several Aurors yelled and the red jets of light came rushing towards him. In a swift motion, Rob managed to dodge most of them but one. Harry came rushing quickly and leaned besides him.

"Rob! Rob!" he said shaking him "What did you do to him?"

Hermione and Ron joined him as the Aurors closed in on them, while one picked up the fallen boy's wand.

"Enough" said a calm voice from behind. The elder headmaster approached the circle of Aurors with the Minister behind him. His words were far from the soothing tone usually heard from Robert's grandfather. Instead, they were serious and spoken with caution.

"Their wands have been removed, Auror Shacklebolt" he said "There's no need for hostility now."

"But, Dumbledore…"

"Lower your wands."

The last sentence was said with such authority, that the Aurors visibly paled and backed down. Harry then glanced up and met the Headmaster's gaze. The twinkle of his eyes was gone and his face appeared to age a hundred years.

"Now, if you could be so kind to reveal your identities" he spoke.

"Don't you recognize us, Professor?" said Hermione behind Harry "It's us, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley! The Aurors just stunned your grandson, sir!"

"Nonsense!" called Fudge "The children have been missing for a year and you expect us to believe they would appear suddenly at their memorial. What kind of sick joke is this? Albus, I recommend you to lock them up until the polyjuice potion wears off, or any other spell they have on for that matter."

"Professor" said another voice from the crowd and Harry scowled when he saw Snape approaching Dumbledore "If I may… I could get some _Veritaserum_ for the interrogation."

"Very well" said the Headmaster not taking his eyes from Harry's face, particularly his scar "We shall take them to the infirmary for this… interrogation."

Then he turned around and spoke to the crowd.

"Please remain calm. This matter will be resolved immediately and we will continue with the service. "

With a gesture from the elder, the Aurors aimed their wands at the four kids and revived Rob. They were hastily pushed around and started walking towards the castle. Several attempts were made by the teenagers to get the attention of their parents, especially by Hermione and Ron, whose parents were stunned with their eyes wide open. But none of their families knew how to react and they only followed them to the castle.

"Well" said Rob whispering as he looked at the back of his grandfather "I wasn't expecting that. He sure looks angry."

"Don't worry, they'll come around" said Harry.

"Harry" whispered Hermione furiously "We forgot about the Veritaserum. What are we going to do about that?"

"Leave it to me" he answered and for a second he looked at Snape, concentrated for just a moment and then relaxed. Hermione and Ron looked at him inquisitively, but said nothing.

* * *

When they arrived at the hospital wing, Dumbledore asked only two Aurors to remain. Only Dumbledore, Snape and the children's families were allowed to stay inside. Fudge had remained outside, talking to the Auror guards. All of them stared at the children with reproachful looks.

"Severus" stated Dumbledore.

With a deep glare, the potions master approached them with four vials of a clear liquid and forced them to swallow it completely. None of them even complained, trusting whatever Harry had done would work.

"Feel free to ask any questions, Headmaster" Snape said sneering "They are now under the effects of the potion."

The old professor nodded and approached Ron first. Not knowing what to do, Ron just stayed still and played along.

"Please state your name" he said in a calm yet strong voice. For a brief moment, nobody moved as every adult in the room fixed their eyes on the red-headed boy. Ron hesitated for a second but he finally answered in a convincing voice.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley"

Some of the present gasped, but the headmaster and Snape frowned. Unbeknownst to them, Harry and Rob were fighting their urge to laugh at their friend's second name. Dumbledore gave Snape a questioning look, but the potions master merely shook his head, confirming that he had not made a mistake.

"Where have you been during the last year?" he asked then.

"I…." began Ron looking confused "I don't know… It was all black and foggy…"

The headmaster leaned towards Ron and looked straight into his eyes. He stood there gazing into his eyes for a brief moment and continued frowning. Then he moved towards Hermione and asked her name.

"Hermione Jane Granger" she answered.

This time, Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in surprise, and the twinkle on his eyes seemed to gain a bit of its lost strength for a moment. For a moment he turned towards the scared muggle couple on the edge of the infirmary.

"I ask for you permission to do some Legilimency on this… girl" the old man said. "Forgive me if I didn't ask you first Molly, Arthur. I just needed to confirm what the Veritaserum revealed."

"You mean…" began Mrs. Weasley, but she was quickly cut off by the Headmaster.

"There are many ways to deceive and counteract the Veritaserum and Legilimency" he answered simply.

"You have our permission" said Jane Granger in a shaky voice.

The headmaster nodded and proceeded to lean down, his eyes fixed directly at Hermione's. For a brief moment, she frowned, but quickly hid it and relaxed.

"Hmph…. This is strange" said Dumbledore. There was something going on with these children that he didn't quite understand. For once, he could easily read Ron, and found his mind filled with unimportant thoughts about food and quidditch. He quickly discovered that indeed, the last thing they had seen was Hogwart's lake more than a year before. On Hermione's case, her mind was filled with all kinds of facts and ideas from her first year classes, and the last year was completely erased from her mind. Not completely satisfied with what he had found, he then step sideways and faced Harry, who made his best effort not to look tense or scared. Dumbledore then asked his name.

"Harry James Potter" he said.

"Who are your parents" the headmaster asked.

"They were Lily and James Potter" he answered emotionlessly.

The Headmaster then gazed directly at his eyes and Harry felt someone try to enter his mind. Harry quickly rose his "shields", and filled his mind with thoughts about Quidditch and the pranks that the Weasley twins had made. The headmaster's presence was gentle but perseverant and finally Harry pushed the image of the lake and then darkness. Dumbledore retired from his mind, and Harry internally smirked.

"What is your name" asked Dumbledore then to Rob.

"Robert Dumbledore" he answered.

The headmaster didn't even bother to investigate his mind and took a few steps back, walking slowly with his hands behind him.

"What is it, Albus?" asked Arthur defiantly "What did you find out? Are they really them? Have our children returned? Answer me!"

The air then shifted and Harry opened his eyes widely when he realized what was going to happen. Snape sneered as he met his gaze and the Weasleys and the Grangers looked petrified when they saw the headmasters face.

"Shields!" Rob whispered furiously, and in a swift movement, the headmaster turned around, with his wand pointed at the four of them and rapidly sent several spells.

"_Impedimenta Maxima"_

But the four children had reacted on time and somehow, they had their _real_ wands on a defensive position.

"_Tinechor!" _ they exclaimed at the same time.

The gong like sound reverberated in the infirmary, and the headmaster stood perplexed at the four children. Once again, the adults gaped at the scene before them. Four energy discs floated in the air, as the younglings stared defiantly at the six adult wizards. Each of the shields had a different color, red for Harry, golden for Ron, green for Hermione and blue for Robert. When they realized no one was about to attack them again, they relaxed and put down their wands, and the shields faded into the air.

The headmaster lowered his wand and gazed directly at Robert's eyes. The rest of the adults stared at him in confusion and did not dare to move. Slowly he approached the boy, who was now staring at him with an eyebrow raised and a slight smile. The headmaster finally reached the boy and extended his hand towards Rob's face.

"It is you" he whispered finally, and a huge smile broke into Rob's face and he leapt into Dumbledore's arms and hugged him as if his life depended on it. More gasps were heard and Ron and Hermione reacted accordingly and ran into the open arms of their parents.

"Ron!" exclaimed Molly crying profusely while she and her husband held their youngest son "Thank you Merlin, thank you!"

"My baby girl" said Eric Granger choking in his tears "You're alive baby. I can't believe it! You are really here."

Harry looked at the exchange between all of his friends' family and smiled sadly. He resigned to the thought that he would never have anyone care for him as their family, and in his mind, he cursed Voldemort for the loss of his parents. He then felt a stare and looked around. Snape was looking at him in a way he had never seen before. Was it pity? But as quick as it had appeared, the look had gone and the potion master looked around and left the infirmary.

Robert looked around while his grandfather still held him and he saw the Harry's expression. As gently as he could, he let go of his grandfather, who gazed at him questioningly. He tilted his face and he to saw the lone boy looking at his friends and gave him a soft smile. Standing up, Dumbledore approached Harry and put and arm around him and the other around Robert.

"I thank the heavens for your return, lads!" he exclaimed and leaning down, he hugged both children. Harry was shocked at first, but after a moment he eagerly returned the gesture.

"Merlin's Beard, it is true" said a voice coming from the door. The minister entered followed by two Aurors and approached the headmaster and the two boys.

"It is my pleasure to finally meet you, lads" he said shaking both hands "You sure gave us some trouble last year. We had almost all the Department of Magical Law Enforcment looking for you. I tell you, Madame Bones was going crazy. Anyways, where are my manners? I am Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic."

"Likewise" they both said as each of them shook his hand.

"We will finally have something positive to print on the Prophet, isn't that right Albus?" Fudge commented "And you must be Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley"

"Pleasure" said Hermione, earning a small smile from Fudge. Robert frowned when he saw the look on the minister's face, but quickly shrugged it off.

"Very well" the Minister said "I think it would be most appropriate if we took the children to St. Mungo's."

"We are not children" said Ron, whose comment went unnoticed.

"I agree" said Madame Pomfrey from the entrance of the infirmary "We are not certain what happened to them during this year. For all we know, they could've been kidnapped and they could've done Merlin knows what. I can do some superficial tests, but I think the safest option is to have some experts check them thoroughly".

"I'm not letting you take my daughter anywhere" said Mr. Granger as and his wife held his daughter "Lord knows if we will ever see her again if we let her go with you. We took an enormous risk by letting her go to a world we didn't know and look what happened? She was gone for a year! And none of your stupid little tricks…"

"Daddy please…" said Hermione in the verge of crying.

"…and this nonsense of blood purity and muggleborns being treated like scum. Why should we let her come back next year? She was attacked by a troll and some dark wizards!"

"Mr. Granger" began the Minister "I assure you…"

"You can't assure me anything! What if a dragon attacks? Or those dark wizards come back? Can you really guarantee my daughter's safety?"

"Please, don't judge us so harshly" said Madame Pomfrey "The headmaster also lost his grandson, and he's quite probably the most powerful wizard from Great Britain. No one could do anything, and we are still uncertain of what happened. As a certified healer I recommend you to take them to the wizard's hospital because the muggle doctors most likely won't detect if something is wrong with them if it is related to magic."

"I don't care about that" exclaimed Mr. Granger "I'm not letting my baby go with you, not even if you paid me. This is a madhouse that's what it is"

"Now that was uncalled for" said Mr. Weasley.

"Bollocks" replied Mr. Granger "You said that Hogwarts was the _safest_ place in Britain and look what happened, and under your noses for that matter."

"I did everything in my power to bring them back" said Dumbledore ashamed "This was beyond my understanding, or anyone else's."

"And then when something 'beyond your understanding' happens again what? Are we supposed to entrust our daughter to a bunch of so called wizards?"

"Show some respect muggle" said the Minister infuriated.

"I will do so when you wizards deserve it, and I do NOT like that word you use."

"Let's calm down everybody" said Arthur Weasley, but it only made the adults start arguing louder. The four younglings looked at each other, concern written all over their faces. This was definitely not the way they expected their reception to go. Now they would have to St. Mungo's again and Hermione's parents would probably take her away. Hermione took a deep breath, and looked straight to each of the boy's eyes. She had a plan.

The voices in the infirmary grew louder and insults started to be exchanged back and forth. Rob crossed his arms and Harry shook his head in amusement. Ron looked like a deer caught in a headlights looking from side to side of the discussion. Without anyone noticing Hermione approached her friends.

"Follow my lead" said Hermione whispering, and then she moved towards the adults and tried to interrupt.

"Daddy…."

"And I don't care how many 'measures' you put up…"

"But Mr. Granger you must understand a witch of that age must…"

"Daddy?" said Hermione trying again to call her father attention, but for another ten minutes, none of the adults paid attention to her. Even Dumbledore was now engrossed in the discussion.

"Urgh… this is useless" said Hermione in exasperation, which made the boys chuckle. They knew she would blow up any minute and do something rash. Harry crossed his arms and Rob had a very familiar twinkle in his eyes with a smug look on his face. Ron stepped behind Hermione, just in case something was thrown to the adults. The voices reached a higher level and the girl finally snapped.

"Enough" she said furiously, but since no one actually heard her, she took out her wand and gave it and angry whip.

"_Silencio Defero!"_

The silence was instant. It took a couple of seconds for the adults to understand what had just happened, and they slowly turned to see the now flustered girl. Dumbledore quickly made a flick with his wand, pointing at himself, with no words coming out of his mouth. Even so, he was unable to lift the spell, and his eyes opened widely in surprise.

"Now you will all listen to what I have to say" she announced proudly "And I'm not lifting the spell until I do so."

The adults looked at each other and nodded.

"I…." said Hermione before taking a deep breath and continuing "I don't know what has happened this last year. We didn't even know we had been gone for that long. But I know one thing, dad, mum: I AM a witch. Magic is a part of me that I can't let go, not even if wanted. I have read several books that said that should a magical person not be educated and trained in the use of magic, it has many probabilities of becoming unstable.

For as long as I remember I have been different from everyone. Instead of normally having fun with kids my age, I hide myself in books and encyclopedias. I can't avoid it, it is in my nature. Before I got here, to Hogwarts, I never had a friend, someone I could share my thoughts and my feelings and my fears."

She was now on the verge of tears and she took a few steps back. Harry, Ron and Robert reached for her and put a hand on her shoulders. She smiled softly, but her eyes where already filled with tears. Mr. Granger looked at his daughter sadly, realizing she was not looking comfort with her parents.

"Since these three…" she said looking at the boys around her "saved me from the troll that day… I… I… don't feel alone anymore. Please, I beg you daddy, don't take that away from me I feel like I belong here! There's danger, yes I know, but these dark wizards already know who I am! I need to study and learn more so I can defend myself and others! But if you take me away..."

"She's the bravest and smartest witch on Hogwarts" said Harry looking directly at Mr. Granger.

"And she has proven it before" said Rob in a serious tone "Without her… no one would've survived that day at Ottery St. Catchpole, including you."

"Please let her stay with us" said Ron "Who will threat us to death if we don't study?"

Hermione let out a small chuckle between sobs and hugged fiercely each one of them. Then, she cleaned her tears and waved her wand. The silence, however, was not broken for a few minutes.

"Sweetie…" said Mrs. Granger "You really are back."

At the same time, both Hermione and her parents met in close embrace and soon, the three of them were crying.

"Perhaps we have forgotten that what matters is that our children have been indeed returned to us" said Dumbledore as he put an arm in both Rob and Harry "Nevertheless, we should still take them to the hospital, just to be safe. Is it agreeable for you Mr. Granger?"

"Very well" he answered and looking down to her daughter he nodded "We won't make any decision just yet, sweetheart. It's just we have a lot to think about, ok?"

"Ok, Daddy" she said in a shy tone.

Dumbledore smiled widely and a furious twinkle that hadn't been seen for an entire year shone in his eyes, and glanced at the now less flustered Minister.

"Cornelius, it would be wise if we could forget now about the mutual insults and let our differences aside just this once. We must remember this is a joyful day, certainly not to be wasted with arguments and meaningless discussions."

Fudge sighed and took of his hat and curtly bowed to the non-wizard couple.

"I apologize for my rude behavior" he said before taking a deep breath "It is indeed a happy day, Albus. I believe it is safe to assume it be the best course of action if I relied the news to our audience, isn't it?"

"I will be very grateful, Cornelius"

"At last some happy news to announce" he said putting his hat again and heading for the door, where his Auror bodyguard waited "Merlin knows it has been long since we had one of those. Word will be sent to St. Mungo's of your arrival, Albus. I hope you have a good evening."

"Likewise, Minister." Dumbledore added.

* * *

"Merlin, I'm bored" said Ron once again, before letting out a deep yawn "How much time do we have to stay here?"

From her side of the hospital room, Hermione groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Ron, if you ask that question one more time I WILL hex you to oblivion"

Two weeks had passed since the unexpected return from the prodigal children and since then they had been, for a lack of a better word, imprisoned on a quiet ward from the wizarding hospital of 's. The sign on the door read "Intensive care" but the children were far from needing such. Harry was sitting on his bed with his arms crossed and Rob in contrast had his legs intertwined, resting his hands on them. His eyes were closed and his breathing was slow. From the moment they arrived and whenever an adult was not there, Rob had started practicing his "meditating exercises" as he called them.

"They make the Occlumency shields stronger." He told them the first time he did it "And they help me not to pay attention to Ron's snoring."

Harry immediately asked him how to do them, and Hermione did not stay behind. Even Ron started doing them before falling asleep, which in their current predicament was not an uncommon occurrence. That day, Hermione's parents had already left since the visit hours ended a few hours into the night. Dumbledore and the Weasleys also went frequently to the hospital and stayed there for long hours. The four Gryffindors loved their visits of course, but they couldn't find enough time to practice their new abilities.

Hermione had revealed that she had had intensive training in charms, transfiguration and swordsmanship. She did not tell them how far her knowledge reached, which of course, with her thirst of knowledge and her knack for reading, would be a lot. Ron mentioned about military physical training and something about muggle technology that would make his "father proud". He had as well got training in defense spells and techniques, and whenever they asked about the muggle technology his smile would grow wide but would not reveal anything.

Rob was the most secretive from the four of them, only telling them that he could now wield element magic and had formed very good mind shields, but nothing more. Of course they knew that was a lie.

Harry did not have much problem and showed them he could create lightning without a wand, feat he had learned far into his training. He also summoned his sword, taking Hermione and Ron by surprise. Rob just smirked at him and gave a knowing nod.

"So, how many elements can you summon Harry?" asked Rob as he leaned back and rested his head over his hands.

"Only lightning and air" said Harry confused "Wait… does that mean you can wield more than two?"

Elemental magic was subject long forgotten at Hogwarts, Cyrus told Harry. The true last elemental masters had disappeared centuries ago, and no records remained of their teachings. What he had taught Harry was only the mere edge of the vast knowledge related to the Elements and their power.

"Sure…" he said "You can learn how to… if you have said element affinity of course. That's what Shen said anyways."

"Cyrus said something about the elemental masters" Harry commented "But he was very vague and he said that there was none of them anymore"

"But could I learn too?" asked Hermione barely holding her excitement. Rob just nodded and gave her a bright smile.

"Wicked." muttered Ron. "When do we start?"

"We first need to test if wandless magic is detected by the Trace" announced Rob. "That is the difference between elemental and normal magic. While normal magic is channeled through our wands, the natural elements don't have that need. Even so, normal magic _can_ be channeled without wands."

"I'm going to have to research that" said Hermione with a frown "I thought elemental magic was also channeled through magic instruments"

"It's true" said Ron "I have tried a bit of element magic myself but only in weapons and such."

"Weapons are imbued with elemental magic" said Rob "They don't channel it. I suppose it can help by giving it focus, but its true potential is through your body's magic. Even so, we still need our wands... it is a bit more difficult to do regular magic without wands."

"Maybe when we start practicing wandless magic it might become easier" said Hermione "I'll add that to my list of research."

"Do you plan to finish that list in this lifetime" asked Ron. Hermione gave him and evil glare that shut him up.

"Umm…" said Harry "Hermione, did you figure a way for us to do magic without being detected?"

"Well… actually I have"

"That's great Mione" said Ron.

"Don't celebrate just yet Ron" she interrupted "Bypassing the ministry's detection is not easy. We may need a magic device that can detect where the spell is located. _Then_ I can do the counter spell that Lyn showed me. I think we can get one from Diagon Alley."

"I might be able to help with that" said Harry "When my eyes shift I am able to see all the magic in the environment. Quite handy, but I don't know how to call them though."

"Maybe I can help with that, mate" said Robert smirking "But I still think we should go to Diagon Alley. I need to get some things for a project I want to do."

"Very well then" said Hermione "Rob, you should start teaching Harry how to call his powers so I can wipe the underage magic detection. Then we go to Diagon Alley."

"Sir, yes, sir!" said Ron mockingly earning a smack in the head from the brown haired girl "I mean Ma'am! Sorry force of habit."

For two hours Rob and Harry sat on one of the beds as the headmaster's grandson explained what he needed to do. It was relatively easy once he got it the first time, consisting mainly of losing focus of the image in his eyes and concentrating on what he had to see. After four hours Harry stood in the middle of the room looking from side to side, mesmerized with the multitude of colorful flashes and mists.

"You shouldn't push it too much the first times" Rob advised him "You might get some headaches."

"Wow" said Harry almost losing his balance "I know what you mean. Little dizzy right now."

"Understatement of the year huh?" said Rob mockingly.

"Yea, but I think I've finally got it" answered Harry "Hermione, I'm ready"

Hermione beamed at him and both Ron and her approached them.

"Take out your wands" she told them "You first Harry"

The three blokes watched mesmerized when Hermione observed Harry's wand from every angle. After a couple of minutes she asked him to change his sight. Harry's eyes glazed and the world became a blur for a second. After that, he could see several shrouds and mists surrounded the entire room. Hermione asked him to point her to a particular one over his wand.

"If I'm correct it should appear like some kind of ring"

Harry focused on the hilt of his wand and finally discovered a faint whirl of blue mist at the edge.

"Now, there's a problem" she said deep in thought with a frown on her face "Someone needs to levitate it so I can properly detach the trace."

"Let me" said Rob before anyone could argue and he closed his eyes. For a couple of seconds nothing happened and Ron raised an eyebrow in confusion. But just at that moment, the wand leapt into the air carried by the wind as Rob extended his arm. With a flick of Rob's hand, the wand spun to face Hermione. Not looking surprised at all, the girl looked at Harry and nodded, before pointing her own wand where Harry had said the trace was. Hermione then started a chant in what seemed to be ancient greek.

"_Telewn trakterso so ego mporw na eima Eleytheros"_

The holly and phoenix feather wand glowed in a blinding red light, and for a moment, Harry thought it was going to burn to ashes. The glow, however, only lasted for a few seconds before the wand returned to its normal color.

Hermione smiled widely, barely containing her excitement, and urged him to test his wand. Harry took his time to examine his magic instrument before smirking at his friends and pointing it at himself.

"_Treksimos"_ he muttered.

When Ron was about to ask what had happened, Harry disappeared in a blur only to reappear behind him. Only Robert seemed to have caught on and opened his eyes widely. Hermione was beyond herself and had a mixture of shock and excitement on plastered on her face. Harry tapped Ron on his shoulder, and just when he was about to turn around he disappeared again and stopped next to Hermione and leaned against her with his elbow.

"We just have to wait and see if the Ministry detected the magic" Harry announced before cancelling the spell.

"Bloody hell, what was that?" exclaimed Ron.

"Just a trick I picked up last year" said Harry "How much time do you think it would take to the ministry to send me an owl?"

"About five or ten minutes" answered Hermione.

And for fifteen long minutes they waited. Hermione took seat on the couch near the beds and Rob had returned to his meditation. Ron was watching amusedly at Harry who was pacing around the room, almost about to have a nervous breakdown.

"Easy, mate" said Ron "I think you're out of the woods now"

Harry smiled wickedly and started levitating things just for further testing his wand. About half an hour later, the four of them were ready and had ridded themselves from the ministry's trace.

"So what's next then?"

* * *

Diagon Alley was busier than the usual. Countless wizards and witches were gathered as they roamed the concurred magical stores. It was common occurrence when suddenly a faint pop was heard and someone would appear out of nowhere. This particularly day was the perfect one for four children to go completely ignored, and could wander freely without being noticed. But what none of the brave Gryffindor children were counting with was that very same day, the ministry had announced publicly the return of the boy-who-lived. It seemed that every conversation was related to the article that was published on the _Daily Prophet_ and whispers buzzed like a furious bee hive.

But these teenagers were no fools anymore. There was no chance they would let themselves be seen wandering alone.

From the many times he had visited the alley, Ron knew the perfect spot for apparating without being noticed. Of course they did not travel the usual way, even for a wizard.

For a moment Harry was reminded of the way the dark wizards had appeared the last time they had being attacked. But the method in which Rob appeared away along with Hermione and Ron was nowhere near that black smoke. Wind travel reminded him of a gentle breeze, like a summer on the beach and then it would turn into a raging hurricane around his body as he disappeared instantly. As he focused on the particular spot he wanted to travel, he discovered he was able to control the speed in which he reappeared. He remembered smirking at Cyrus's expression when he told him he could do that.

In a matter of seconds Harry found himself on the darkened end of the spot between Flourish and Blott's and Ollivander's. He immediately saw his friends already covered in a dark cloak, hood covering their faces, and he followed suit. They had planned their journey carefully and decided it was best if they went under the invisibility cloak, with an extra layer of protection by disillusioning themselves. They would first go to Gringotts where they would lose the cloak and the charm, in case the goblins could see through them.

With all the patience they could muster, they were able to find the right moment to enter to the tall white building without tripping anyone. As they passed the threshold, Harry pulled the cloak and everyone cancelled their disillusionment charms.

The goblins at the entrance did not appear startled and stood with their spears at their sides, not sparing a single glance at the figures. Without as much as a word the disguised teenagers made way to the front desk.

"How may I help you sirs?" asked the goblins slightly rudely. He had a long brown beard and a monocle on his left eye. He wore a brown suit that made him look as an aristocrat.

"I would like to talk with my account manager" asked Harry in a faked voice.

"Of course Mr…"

"Potter" stated Harry "Harry Potter. I would like this meeting to be… private"

"Certainly Mr. Potter" said the goblin, as his expression changed from glaring to mild surprise. His tone changed and became courteous but wary "Will your escort be joining the meeting?"

"They're friends of mine" he answered hastily "I will not keep this from them."

"Very well" said the goblin "Please follow me."

They were then taken through a wooden door on the left side of the building that led to a great hallway. Its floor was of white polished marble and golden patterns, adorned with magnificent statues of goblin heroes and leaders, also carved from the valued metal. Hermione seemed to remind some of the names from the History of magic class.

"May I ask you a question Mr…" she trailed of.

"Thrakas" answered the Goblin "And yes you may ask."

"Thanks Mr. Thrakas" she said politely "Are these the Goblins that have lead the past rebellions?"

"Indeed they are" he said with an air of superiority as they passed several doors "Even Director Rangok has a statue. He led the last ministry siege more than a century ago."

"He looked powerful" said Robert. They were the first words he had spoken through the entire day "Is is true your magic is different from ours?"

Thrakas looked impressed at the comment of the child and stopped abruptly.

"Flattery will get you nowhere in these halls, young one" he announced in harsh whispers "Too long has your kind meddled in our society."

"Forgive me Thrakas" said Robert in a polite tone "But I was merely stating the truth. Does he not wield powerful magic? Even now, at his post as Director?"

"Too bold you are, child" he said warily "what is your name?"

"Dumbledore" he answered.

"Ah, now everything is explained" said Thrakas with a chuckle "Director Ragnok will be glad to attend you. Such a notice you have been, Hogwarts four" he paused and turned around facing at them, his eyes showing an emotion they did not understand "It is said that you mysteriously appeared in exactly a year's time after your… misplacement. But we know better. Goblins are not as fools as your kind makes us to be. An emissary from the Nation was sent that day and he relied unexpected news to us. Before we go through the business there are a few questions the Director ought to ask. I trust there will be no refusals."

"As long as our visit is not made public knowledge" said Harry "We would like our… business to go unnoticed."

"Goblins value our client's privacy, Mr. Potter." Thrakas said with a nod and he turned around and continued their way to the last door, right at the end of the hallway. The door was made out of gold with white exuberant patterns, and the children realized that the goblin nation truly held all the economy in the wizarding world. Thrakas then commanded the door in their native language, Gobbledegook.

The metallic door clanged and it slowly opened revealing an enormous office. Unlike the rest of the building, the walls were not of stone, but from beautiful dark wood. On the walls, various portraits of previous directors were hung. Some of them wore stunning armors holding all sorts of weapons, most of them engraved with brilliant gemstones.

On the middle of the office a single chair stood behind a wooden polished desk, and shadows seemed to dance as a blaze flickered on the fireplace. The door closed behind them with a sudden thump startling the four children. Harry then realized that Thrakas had not come in with them.

"Welcome, young ones" said a voice behind a chair. It was slightly high pitched and raspy. The chair turned slowly around and they faced an old looking goblin, with the longest ears and nose they had ever seen in their short lives.

"It is an honor Director Ragnok" said Harry, not sure of what were the customs, and bowed down, followed by his friends.

"May I ask a question, Master Goblin?" inquired Robert.

"I will make the questions first" said the goblin, his eyes cold and harsh "If it is not a problem with you Master Dumbledore. Or with you Master Potter, the _boy who lived. _ It would be also polite if your hoods were down. I like to see who I am talking to_"_.

"I'm not sure about being a Master, Director Ragnok" said Robert as he, Harry, Ron and Hermione ridded themselves of their hoods. Strands of Roberts long hair fell to in front of his face while the brown tone of Hermiones appeared, followed by Ron's vibrant red and Harry's messy black.

"But we apologize for not showing our face" said Hermione "I trust you understand our need for privacy."

"Privacy that would not be necessary if your government was… different" the Director said mischievously "But let's get to the point shall we? There are rumors among the wizards that you were taken into hiding by Albus Dumbledore. Some of them are as outrageous as claiming that you have been training in a secret branch of the ministry by fully trained Aurors. But us Goblins know the truth, or at least a part of it. You see, young masters, we know that Dumbledore did not _know_ where you were for an entire year. We also are aware that you sudden appearance and ignorance behind was fake."

The four children opened their eyes in shock, and the Goblin smirked and let out a small chuckle.

"Our emissary, as Thrakas might have already told you, was present that day. He brought back startling news." he paused for a second before finishing his thought "He saw how four thirteen year old teenagers were able to control fire and wind in such manner that even the supposed greatest wizard of Britain was caught by surprise. Therefore, my question is… who are you?"

An uncomfortable silence fell in the Director's office. The old goblin stared patiently, but his cold piercing eyes had a gleam of excitement. The 'Hogwarts Four' as Ragnok had called them, looked at each other, something that did not go unnoticed by the goblin leader.

Few moments passed and the teenagers nodded at each other. '_How extraordinary'_ thought the goblin amusedly _'This closeness they share is not normal. Just now they seemed to have an entire debate silently, just barely looking at each other. Perhaps the rumors are not entirely… unauthentic.'_

"We might tell you…" said Harry "If you could lend us some help."

"What kind of help you talk about?" snarled Ragnok.

"Access to the Potter's main vault" answered Harry "The money belongs to my family either way. We just need… funds."

"I don't think anything you can offer can compare to giving you access to one of the wealthiest vault of Gringotts before you become of age Mr. Potter."

"Perhaps there is" said Rob smirking "If you promise to keep our agreement completely off the records. We do not want the ministry or the Wizengamot aware of this."

"We will see Mr. Dumbledore" he said as he rested his hands over his desk "What could possibly be so valuable that the Ministry and the Wizard's court should not know? There are few things that the Ministry cares about… money being the main one."

The Hogwarts four smirked and nodded to the only girl in their group. Taking a step forward, she took out her wand. The Goblin leader visibly tensed as a cold breeze blew inside his closed office. He hadn't even seen the other boys move. He closed his fist, and got ready to call the guardians in case they wanted to attack him. But the girl merely reached for her pocket, muttering and incantation. '_They can do magic! That means they're of age! Impostors!'_

"We are not impostors Master Goblin" said Harry in a cold whisper "And we were truthful… you will not be disappointed"

And with that, the girl pulled a long object from her pocket. It was a trident, with a symbol he thought he would not see again in his lifetime.

"Atlantis" he muttered.


	4. The Other Path

**Chapter 4: The other path**

Ginny Weasley had just lived one of her strangest weeks. In fact the last two years had been completely out of the ordinary, even for an eleven year old witch. The only thing she knew for certain was how it all started.

Those emerald green eyes had been the beginning of everything. She remembered very well the first time she saw them, back then, at the crimson Hogwarts Express. The date was forever marked on her mind.

It was the first year that she would be completely alone at her house. Of course, her mother would be there, but without Ron, the youngest of his older brothers, it wasn't going to be the same. For that very reason she had been trying not to break down in front of her family. She ignored how she would explain her mental collapse in front of them.

So she went along, with an unusual silence. She walked through King Cross's station next to her mother, never saying a single word as she held back her tears. It was then she saw him for the first time, and at that moment her life, as well as her family's, changed forever.

A sweet, dark haired boy walked shyly pushing a heavy cart towards them as they rushed pass platform number eight. Blushing as red as her hair, he asked her mother if she could point him to the entrance that would take him to the magical train. Ginny eyed him cautiously, trying to figure out why he looked so familiar, but she couldn't quite place it where she had seen him. He had a beautiful snowy owl in a rattled cage and his ragged clothes hung loosely, making him look like a homeless child. But what surprised her the most were the piercing green eyes that met her for that brief moment. She had never been under that powerful stare. It wasn't something one could describe with words. His eyes spoke of sorrow and fear, of tragedy and solitude. And yet, he held the most caring and compassionate look she had ever witnessed. She blushed deeply that very moment and took her eyes away from the boy. She was forever glad her twin brothers had already crossed. The teasing would be dreadful.

Her mother, with her endless love for children, smiled sweetly and told him to join her brother Ron in his walk to platform nine and three quarters. After the two of them crossed, she and her mother followed them, and as they reappeared at the magical platform, she immediately started looking for the boy. She couldn't help to feel disappointed when she couldn't find him and the sadness came back full force.

Then the unthinkable happened. Her twin jokesters' brothers approached her mum and her to say their goodbyes when they happily announced they had met the boy-who-lived. Her world stopped and before she gave it an ounce of thought, she started jumping around asking her mother if she could get in the train and see her knight in shining armor. Then the twins said that he had been the boy who had asked for help and she felt a pang of regret.

How could that boy and Harry Potter, the vanquisher of you-know-who, the fated hero of the wizarding world and defeater of the Dark Lord could be the same person? The green eyes came back to her mind and from that moment she started doubting if the stories she had heard were true.

Later that year, right after the Halloween festivities, her mother had received a letter saying that her brother and three other friends had managed to stop not one, but two trolls on their own. She couldn't quite believe that four kids not far from her age could do such thing. Maybe the stories about him being a prodigy were true…

Months passed quickly, and during that time she had made a friend. It was the daughter of one of her neighbor wizard family, by the name of Luna Lovegood. She had a long, curly blonde hair and a white cute face. They instantly clicked, even when their personalities weren't alike in the slightest. Luna had a wild imagination, possibly fueled by his father's stories about fantastic creatures that roamed earth, creatures even the wizarding world found ridiculous. In contrast Ginny had and outgoing personality and she owned the Weasley temper at full scale. But she didn't mind at all their differences. She was the first friend she ever had and from the first day they made a promise.

"Ginny?" the blonde girl asked shyly "I'm happy we met. I had never ever had a friend before. And I always feel lonely. Please don't ever leave me ok?"

"You know what?" asked Ginny merrily "Let's make a promise"

"Like a pinky promise?" Luna replied, her crystal green eyes full of hope. Unlike the piercing emerald from the boy who lived, her eyes where soft and pure.

"Even better" the red haired answered "It's a witch's promise. Come on take my hand."

Then, they closed their eyes pronounced some words that seemed silly at the moment. But unaware they had been of the shining white light that surrounded them that fated day in November, forming a friendship bond that none would be able to break.

But the strange happenings did not stop that past October. Soon Christmas fell upon them and with it, the return of her brother. But to her surprise not only Ron was coming back, but he was bringing with him none other than _Harry Potter_ and _Robert Dumbledore._ She didn't even know the school headmaster - from whom she had heard so much because of her twin brothers' pranks- had a grandson.

She quickly told Luna about her crush on Harry Potter, and admitted that she was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. The blonde girl gave her a sweet smile and helped her so she would not blush and lose her speech every time she saw the boy-who-lived.

"Think of him like just another boy" said Luna attempting to calm down her friend.

"I can't Luna!" she shrieked "What if he thinks I'm ugly or worse, if he thinks of me _just_ as Ron's little sister."

"Don't worry, just act like he's not there!" she said giggling "Who knows? Maybe you become friends with him too!"

She was forever glad that Luna was her friend.

By the time Ron and his friends came, Ginny struggled to act normally, battling with her incessant crush on the black haired boy. She was curious, though, about the second boy. He looked somehow like Harry, and his eyes showed a similar look as the boy-who-lived, the one filled with sorrow and despair but at the same time full of kindness. She felt… strange under his gaze, but what surprised the most was the way he saw Luna. Ginny knew her friend was a bit strange, but the frown that Rob gave her was a bit startling.

However, in a few days they started getting along with the boys just fine. She was beyond ecstatic and she had confessed so to Luna, but around the boys she acted normally, even friendly to the messy black-haired boy. He was even noticing her!

But the doomed day came. It was another morning she would never forget. It had all started perfectly as they tagged with the three boys to meet one of their school friends. She liked Hermione on first sight, and noticed she acted somehow shyly around her brother. But her thoughts shifted when she saw the look on Rob's face. She had never seen him like that before, a determined and angry look on her face. When him and Harry commanded Hermione's parent's to hide Luna and her under the invisibility cloak, he sounded dead serious. Their voice was filled with fear, yes, but there was something else, _Courage_ perhaps. But even then Rob surprised her the most. His voice was full of hate and it even changed. It was unnaturally deep and hoarse for a boy his age.

His warning had been final.

'_It is going to be… horrible'._

And horrible it was. Hermione's parents murmured words of comfort. But they were not enough to silence the screaming and the sickly noises that the townsfolk produced. She heard how her brother and his friends did magic, but she couldn't understand how they could stop the men attacking the town. She had secretly risked a glance towards the town and she instantly felt her stomach fell. There was blood everywhere as two dark cloaked figures walked down the path that led to the center of the town. She couldn't believe someone could be that evil.

She then felt a hand on her own and looked towards her friend. Luna had always been with her since she had met her. Both of them were afraid, but in that moment they knew they had each other.

Even so, she felt something else. It was on the very moment that the dark wizard sent the first spell against them. She saw as it connected with and invisible barrier. The shields that Harry, Rob and her brother had casted appeared between them and the dark wizards.

She felt…_safe_.

She couldn't quite understand it but she knew that was her feeling. Oddly Luna stopped trembling as well. The curses continued and when she thought the evil wizards had disappeared, a monstrous thing appeared and threatened to eat them. For a second time she _felt_ a surge of magic, and a blue sphere surrounded them. This time it was Rob. And just before the shield collapsed, Hermione managed to create the portkey and they were saved.

Nobody could believe what happened when they arrived at the destroyed town, and even less that four young wizards that had just started at Hogwarts could have survived such a massacre. Or so was what she and Luna heard. Had it really been that bad? She had only catch glimpses and noises, just as Luna had. Perhaps it had been the right thing to let Hermione's parents to shield them.

For a few months nothing else happened, but Luna had become tense, which made _her_ nervous as well. Still, they returned to the usual routine and they quickly let the accident behind. She and Luna became even closer during those times before they would finally join the wizarding school. She had waited for this for as long as she could remember. And she would get to see Harry!

The end of her brother's school year drew near, and with it, the most terrible news. They had all disappeared.

She remembered that day quite well.

She and Luna were happily talking in the living room about silly things that Mr. Lovegood wrote in his magazine when they suddenly heard a crash coming from the kitchen, and they heard her mother shrieking and sobbing. Both girls immediately jumped up and ran to see what happened. Her mind was rushing asking herself what could've had happened. She had never seen her mom that sad as she read a letter written in red paper, clutching her heart as if trying to stop it from being ripped from her chest.

"What happened mom?" she asked with tears now falling down her cheeks as well "Please mum don't be sad! What happened?"

Her mother muttered something inaudibly and gave a sob in despair.

"Please, mum, just tell me" she said between sobs.

"It… It's your brother"

Her world stopped and her eyes opened wide in shock. She felt Luna place her hand around her shoulders and led her towards her mum.

"He… he's gone" her mum continued "Disappeared… not a single trace, he and his three friends. Dumbledore thinks it was dark wizards."

"NO" Ginny wailed. How that could have happened, she asked herself. They were in Hogwarts! Dumbledore was there! It couldn't be true!

"I…" her mum, trying to stand up but miserably failing "I need to floo your father…"

From that moment on the whole Wizarding Britain was turned itself down. The ministry was relentless in their search for the four children, especially since one of them was the boy-who-lived, and another was the grandchild of the Hogwarts headmaster. It was actually from his part that the search was the most extenuating. The months before Ginny went to Hogwarts were tiresome. They saw Aurors come in everyday asking questions and always relying bad news.

The day she and Luna were to leave for Hogwarts was one of the worst days instead of the greatest. Her mum couldn't stop hugging her and her brothers, wailing her eyes out. And her father… her father wore the most somber face she had ever seen in her entire life. He seemed to be dead on the inside. The Hogwarts castle had something missing, and it was very obvious since her arrival at the great hall. That twinkle shining behind the half-moon spectacles of Albus Dumbledore was gone.

She was of course glad that she and Luna had become Gryffindors and her brothers had welcomed them warmly. But it just wasn't the same. Out of respect, four seats of the table were left empty.

The Headmasters words were humble and wise… but sad. He introduced a new professor for Defense against the Dark Arts. She was a young, American Auror by the name of Kari Redwood. She had a beautiful face, with pale white skin, long honey brown hair, chocolate hazel eyes, and wore a dark blue delicate robe. Some of the boys couldn't seem to take their eyes from her as she smiled and waved the students.

After the somewhat dull feast they followed her brother Percy to Gryffindor tower where she met her new housemates. They both shared the dormitory with the first year Gryffindor girls, Demelza Robins, Persephone Bones and Caroline Smith.

And so classes started.

She quickly found that the assignments weren't that difficult and managed to do the spells with ease, with the exception of Herbology and history of magic. She and Luna quickly got to top of their class. On the first week, both Ginny and Luna got the attention of most of their teachers, even from Snape, when he saw how good the young Weasley girl was at potions, which unknown to him, was forced upon her from having the Weasley twins as her brothers. Luna was better than her in Charms and Transfigurations, but only slightly, and they would complement each other every time.

However something startled them. From her brothers, Ginny had heard that Draco Malfoy was a nasty git that always attacked and insulted the 'inferior' wizards, as in everyone not a pureblood. But they were surprised when the heir of the Malfoy fortune was not attending school.

"Perhaps they sent him to Durmstrang" suggested Luna.

"I really hope so" answered Ginny not feeling exactly relaxed.

The first Defense against Dark Arts lesson was a pleasant surprise, after having heard how Quirrell was such a bad teacher. Kari told them how important it was to know how to defend oneself even when in the future the jobs they'd get wouldn't necessarily require fighting dark wizards. She showed them how to perform a basic shield spell and soon the whole class was casting the white dull _Protego_ charm. But Ginny was curious and couldn't help but to raise her hand.

"Yes Miss Weasley?" her teacher asked softly.

"Is this the only shield spell taught to first years?" Ginny asked with a frown. Luna turned to see her, giving her an inquiring look. Then she opened her eyes widely suddenly remembering something.

"Indeed it is, sweetie" the teacher said smiling "You aren't going to go hunting dark wizards are you?"

"No teacher" Ginny answered "Just asking."

How had Harry and Rob done so powerful shields that time after Christmas? Luna seemed to have the same question as their eyes met. They had caught a glimpse during the attack, and the _Protego _shield was far from being the powerful energy disk that defended them half a year before. The class then ended but their doubt was still on their minds when something got their attention.

The rest of the class was on the classroom's outer hallway when two cloaked figures appeared on the other end of the hallway and sent a couple of curses each at the unsuspecting first years.

"_Stupefy!"_

Two of the young students managed to do a simple Protego, but Colin Creevey from Gryffindor and Brian Randall from Ravenclaw weren't so lucky, and two red beams struck them right on the chest. Professor Redwood swiftly got to the place of the commotion but the attackers had already left.

And that was the first of many assaults suffered by all the houses, except for Slytherin. She lost no time and went asking Fred and George who were those people. Their answer had been most unsatisfactory.

"Someone you don't want to mess with, Ginny" said Fred seriously.

"Leave it to older students or the teachers" snarled George in a tone that she had never heard from him before "Merlin knows we got our brother and his friends mixed up too fast."

It was a statement that thoroughly confused both girls.

October came and more attacks happened, but with less frequency. The student population felt somehow less worried. But it didn't last too much. On a cloudy Thursday, Ginny and Luna walked down the moving stairwells towards the great hall for breakfast, but they weren't ready for the scene before them. Lying on the ground rested a boy about two years older than them. He was drooling and his eyes were unfocused. His face was frozen in a silent scream of terror.

Luna gasped and took a few step backs while Ginny attempted to wake the boy up, who they discovered had the Hufflepuff insignia on his robes. But the bloke did not wake up. After a few minutes more students came by and the disorder called the attention of the teachers. It was Snape who came first and immediately asked Ginny what had happened.

"I don't know sir" she said trembling "He was just like this when we found him."

"Bring Madame Pomfrey" he snarled "Tell her it is urgent, this boy might have been poisoned."

The Potions master had been right about the reason of the boy's state. But everyone was in shock when the rumor spread that not even him knew what was causing the boy's symptoms. Then… another one got sick. This time it was a Ravenclaw fifth year, and she had the same symptoms. Snape was totally confused.

More and more students started to become ill and Dumbledore took matters in his own hands. Nobody knew how, but he discovered that the students had been drugged with something called Vextral. The drug was digested and the first symptoms were euphoria only to turn the person to a near catatonic state for a day.

The incidents lessened but they were still present, since even Dumbledore was unable to find the source.

Ginny once caught the twins talking hushedly in a dark corner near the Gryffindor tower. Curiosity took the best of her and eavesdropped on their conversation. What she found out was really frightening.

"Did you hear, Fred?" asked his brother in whispers "There was another one. It was that Boot girl in Ravenclaw."

"Yes, I saw when they were getting her to Pomfrey. Her brother was crying all the way" Fred answered "Are we sure that the Valari are behind this?"

"Is there another explanation?" George replied with another question "The attacks suddenly calm down and then we get this! We have to do something."

"Brother" Fred said mischievously "I think it's time to give the Slytherins a taste of the Weasley twins' prank war."

"I couldn't agree more" added George with a sly smile "Let's make them pay."

And indeed a war it was.

In short time, the Slytherins learned to check their drinks and food before eating, trying to avoid being turned into something nasty. Ginny took her time and investigated who this Valari person was. She found out there were at least five persons with that name currently attending school, throughout different years. They were a powerful, foreign family that had established a decade before in Britain. But still, she was unsure that they were producing the Vextral.

That, of course, changed.

Luna and Ginny were just leaving the Halloween feast after a really nasty joke from the Weasley twins. They weren't really looking forward from the Slytherin's reaction after being transformed into pumpkins.

They knew better than run off alone during the night, but they ignored their instincts and went along either way. The trip wasn't too fun. The halls were dark and spooky, and creaking sounds were heard everywhere. People on the portraits were asleep and armors looked like they were about to jump up any moment. They were finally arriving at the Gryffindor tower when the stairway decided to move. Not knowing when it was going to go back they decided to venture to the other side of the castle. After a few minutes of wrong turns and dead ends, they heard someone coming. They decided to hide around a corner and using a mirror they spied on the person.

"Who do you think it is, Ginny?" Luna asked in a scared whisper.

"I don't know" she answered "Nobody is supposed to be here at this hour"

Finally they saw a figure clad in a dark cloak, holding a fluorescent green vial that glowed, fighting the shadows that crept in the hallway.

"Look!" muttered Luna "I bet anything that the vial has Vextral in it. We need to warn a Professor."

"No" answered Ginny "We need to follow him, find out who is brewing it."

"Are you crazy!" said Luna "This guy might be dangerous! For all we know there could be more than one person giving this stuff to the students."

"But if someone doesn't stop them more people will be drugged" said Ginny "Look let's just follow him to see where his creating the stuff, then we go directly to Dumbledore."

"Fine. But I still think the Wrackspurts have gotten to you."

But just as she ended the sentence, three figures appeared on the end of the corridor two of them with their wands drawn. They didn't think it twice and started running, taking their own wands out. Soon, multicolored blasts flew pass them. Ginny quickly casted a _Protego_ behind her and Luna, effectively stopping a few curses before turning around in another corner. Seconds seemed years and the only thing she could think about was to find a place to hide.

After turning around on another corner they both realized they had been going in circles, pursued by the three figures. They stopped on their tracks when they heard the frantic steps from behind and in front of them.

"No!" she heard Luna say.

They had only a few seconds before their attackers caught on and they turned around hysterically looking for some escape route. And as if they had been heard a door appeared on the wall next to them.

"Quick!" yelled Ginny "Get inside!"

"But Ginny" replied Luna looking scared at the door.

"Do you prefer staying here and fight those guys?" asked Ginny and Luna shook her head "Then let's go!"

They barely made it in before the three figures arrived at the hallway on the seventh floor, they searched every door, but they did not catch one of them disappearing into the wall.

Ginny and Luna found themselves on a room with countless things scattered all round on mounds of mounds of scrap and junk, forgotten through years and years.

"Wow" said Luna gasping at all the things on the room.

They wandered for some time, looking around, amazed at all the stuff that previous students had left behind. But something drew their attention. A white light started glowing and a ringing sound reverberated through the room, coming from a high shelf hidden in one of the corners of the enormous room.

Without thinking it twice they grabbed the book. It was beautiful, with a bright white cover and silver patterns. They inspected the book thoroughly and were amazed as the white light increased as they touched the symbol on the front. The light and sound enticed them and slowly, the girls opened the book, and everything turned black.

"Welcome young ladies" a gentle voice said.

They realized they weren't at Hogwarts anymore. In front of them was a beautiful woman in a white silk robe. A blue aura surrounded her as she floated in the middle of an endless room.

"Where are we" asked Luna "This isn't our school."

"Quite right, Luna Lovegood" the woman replied, her voice echoing through the vast chamber.

"But what is this place?" asked Ginny forcefully, suddenly feeling brave.

"This is the realm of the book" the woman answered "Dark times are ahead of you, children of light. Your resolve must not falter, for the _Snakes_ have awakened."

"The what?" interrupted Ginny, but Luna opened her eyes wide in shock.

"You mean… _Snakes, _as in the _Lord Snakes_" said Luna scared "My father said they were defeated long ago. As in a myth…"

"And that's saying something if your father thinks they are not real."

"Oh they are very much real, Ginevra Weasley. They were defeated, yes…" answered the woman "But not eliminated. They have grown strong again and they strive to put the world in a dark age."

"But what are we supposed to do?" asked Ginny exasperatedly "We are only first years."

"Do not fear, young ones" replied the woman "There is someone who will help you. Now come, you shall be awakened."

"What do you mean by _awakened?_" asked Luna frowning. But the woman did not respond and merely opened her arms widely and placed each of her hands over her heads.

"_Â__min leithe fealle, alstald nim_'_Arwen."_

"_Ginny…_" whispered a voice. It sounded very distant. She tried to open her eyes and she slowly got up.

"_Ginny…"_ the voice said, getting louder.

She groaned and finally looking around not really knowing where she was. Next to her, Luna had started to move too, clutching her head and leaning to get up.

"Ginny!" the voice yelled. The red haired girl turned around and saw the Defensae against Dark Arts professor running to them, her wand out.

"Merlin, I'm glad I found you" she said as she leaned down and helped both girls get on their feet. "We have been looking you for a couple of hours!"

"Really?" asked Ginny "It seemed like minutes only"

"Can you tell me what happened?" she asked gently, checking them for any injuries.

Suddenly, Ginny opened her eyes wide as she remembered what they were doing before they entered the hidden room.

"Oh professor!" she said desperately "We saw someone, carrying a green vial; we think that it was Vextral!"

"Excuse me?" the young auror said as she flinched, but the serious look on the girls' faces told her they were not lying. "Are you certain?"

"Yes!" shrieked Luna "We followed one guy that was carrying the potion and then three cloaked figures appeared and started chasing us. They sent lots of curses at us. Its good the light-glowing Klatznaptz misdirected them."

"The what?" asked the Professor with her eyebrow raised.

"Don't ask" said Ginny rolling her eyes, but smiling anyways. They told her the whole story up until they found the book.

"And then this light came off it and a second later we were here" she finished. The young professor sighed and looked around for the book but it was nowhere to be seen.

"Girls, you shouldn't be following these people" she told them "They are very dangerous. Whenever you find something or someone out of place you _must_ tell a member of the staff. Now let's get you up and take you to your dorm."

An idea formed on Ginny's mind and she pulled the professor's robe before they left the room.

"Umm… Professor, I was wondering" she trailed off "Could you teach us how to defend ourselves and to fight? I don't think these guys are going to leave us alone from now on."

"And there cannot be a professor all the time with us" said Luna following her lead. "At the very least we could hold them off until someone came for help."

Their teacher seemed to think about it for a second before smiling at them.

"Very well, girls" she said with a playful smirk "But it is not going to be easy or fun. Think it through really hard before making a choice. Things are not looking good in the school, but Dumbledore is too absorbed in the search for Potter and his grandson. I've told him we should give the kids better defense program but the school governors won't allow it. So we will have to figure a way to make up a schedule for you. And because of the school governors we will have to make these classes' secret, ok? So what do you say, should I give you a couple of days to think about it?"

Both girls shook their face furiously.

"There's no way we're not doing this" said Ginny "Count with us professor!"

The professor gave them a soft smile before ushering to go back to their dormitory. It was a silent return, as both girls reflected on everything that happened during that day. But the surprises were far from over.

When they finally arrived at the first year girl's dorm, they found the rest of their roommates already asleep. Immediately, they noticed something out of place. On top of Ginny's bed, the white book rested, shimmering in barely visible soft white light.

"Should we…"

"Yes" interrupted Luna before she could finish her question.

Very slowly, Ginny opened the book and shielded her face. But there was no blackout this time. It was then she saw that the strange writings in the book were not strange anymore. She could read it perfectly in English, and so did Luna.

"How can we, you know, read the book?" asked Luna, and following the title with her finger she read "The book of magic"

"Beats me" Ginny answered her late question "Maybe it had a charm to change its language to the reader's?"

"Look at the note here…" said Luna pointing at a small piece of scripture on the bottom of the first page "_Ask and the knowledge shall be given._"

"Well what do we need to learn?" asked Ginny crossing her arms and resting her chin over her hand. "Perhaps defense spells or hexes?"

"No…" said Luna almost whispering "I think… I think we need to learn something to protect other people."

Ginny clicked her fingers and with a big smile she launched herself to the book.

"You're right Luna…" she said "What's the point of knowing all kinds of spells if you can't protect the people you care about? We should ask the book."

But as in cue, the pages of the book shifted on their own and stopped on a particular chapter. Both girls, taken slightly aback, leaned towards the book and started reading.

"_The White Arts"_ said Luna repeating the title of the chapter "Well it makes sense."

"Huh?" said Ginny confused

"Well, people are always talking about Dark Arts, you know?" said Luna "They are always trying to counter them with more dark spells, and they create more curses and hexes. Charms are neutral most of the times; they can be used for good or bad. But this… this is the _exact_ opposite of Dark Arts."

"Well, when you put it like that…" said Ginny and then she jumped up in delight "This way we can stop the attacks from the Valari, or whoever its behind them. Maybe we can find a way to stop the Vextral too!"

"Let's see then!" said Luna reading more "Look what it says here. It's like it has an index. _Healing Spells, White seals, Shields and Defensive spells, Auras, Angelic Runes…_ and it keeps going and going!"

"Well the first one could be very useful" said Ginny turning the page, but yawning at the very same moment. "Let's start tomorrow… I'm too sleepy."

Luna giggled and closed the book, putting it under her mattress so nobody could see it. Then she too yawned and crashed on her bed.

From that moment on, the advanced training began. Kari had been right when she said it would be hard to train with her. She was relentless and used the same tactics she had suffered from when she was on Auror training. She made them exercise and run laps in one of the largest rooms, because they couldn't let themselves be seen training. She taught them many techniques for dueling, dodging, correct ways to move during a fight and many other things.

Unknown to their teacher, the girls had also started reading the mysterious book that they had found. They looked everywhere the room where it had been hidden, but their memory of that night was foggy and they really had not paid attention where they were going. Kari didn't know either, complaining about the door disappearing on their way out and never coming back.

Months passed and there were several more cases of Vextral. The drug was becoming very addictive for the users and it had become usual to see two or three students lying on the ground. Snape was working hard to discover and antidote, and by the time everyone was supposed to leave for Christmas, he had developed a way to eliminate the addiction, but with serious withdrawal and recovery complications. And again, Dumbledore was too enthralled in his search for the lost children.

It would be an understatement to say that the holidays were not happy. They received the visit of Dumbledore and Luna's family, but without the kids, it just wasn't the same. Quickly the time passed and they were back at the school.

Between the training, homework and classes, the rest of the term passed in the blink of an eye and the year had finally come to an end. Kari Redwood sadly announced that she would not be coming back the next year, due to personal problems. It was actually the first time in many years that the Defense against the Dark Arts professor had not ended in a terrible accident or something along those lines.

Of course, the year could not end with another surprise.

That day, it was clear that the headmaster had finally given up, and nobody could give him back that twinkle of his blue eyes.

Ginny couldn't hold back the tears anymore. It had finally hit her, and hit her hard. They were really _gone_. She loved her brother to the death, as obnoxious as he could be, and she couldn't believe she would never see him again. She had made friends out of Rob, and even Hermione during short time. But it hurt the most that her childhood crush, the savior of the wizarding kind, Harry Potter, would never come in his shining armor and save her, as she used to dream when she was little. It pained her to see the four pillars with the blue flames, representing the souls that were lost. She prayed silently to whatever force in the heavens could hear her, and wished that her brother and his friends could come back, safe and sound. A final tear fell slowly to the ground, glittering against the moonshine.

The wind swooshed, and confused, she glanced toward the pillars, noticing something in the woods on the back. But it couldn't be, perhaps her eyes were deceiving her. She turned to see Luna and she gave her a small nod, confirming that she had too seen something odd. As the wind blew harder, they could not make out anything on the forest and quickly, the flames perished. Then, the blast came.

And the four lost children were back.

After a couple of hours of discussing in private in the infirmary, Dumbledore had busted out with Harry and Robert on both sides, claiming that they had been returned by a mysterious force. His happiness shone through his eyes with renewed force. She had never seen her mother and father so relieved, and nobody could separate the Grangers from her daughter. When she saw Ron, she ran up to him and hugged him fiercely telling him how much she has missed him. She blushed deeply, though, but managed to get a hold of her nerves and awkwardly gave Harry and Rob a hug. Of course, with Hermione had been easier. Luna, being herself, hugged them all as well, earning a frown from Rob when she commented that he had finally ridden himself from the Wrackspurts.

They were really back!

And so, a couple weeks later, she found herself walking happily through Diagon Alley in company of her family and Luna, after having visited the four "Lost Children" as the wizarding world called them. They were getting all the stuff for her brother and his friends.

She giggled when she saw the picture the reports from _The Prophet_ had taken of Dumbledore, Harry and Rob. It was obvious that the latter two were not fond of people taking pictures of them.

However she had the strange feeling that they were hiding something. Sometimes, during their visits at St. Mungo's, she would catch them having whispered conversations, and whenever anyone came in they would stop and change the topic abruptly. It was, of course, very subtle. But whenever they'd do it, Robert would give her and Luna some strange looks.

"So you have seen it too?" Ginny asked Luna as they strode in front of Florean Fortescue's Ice cream Parlor.

"I can't say I haven't" said Luna "It's just... I don't know Ginny. Rob would put this strange faces, as if he didn't like to be interrupted. He wouldn't even let his grandfather hear his conversations."

"Harry and the rest were the same" she said "The git of my brother even _dared_ to scowl at me one time."

"Do you think they have become a little conceited?" Luna asked "They act as if they owned the world, like they said Malfoy ded!"

"I don't know" said Ginny "Maybe we're just a bit jealous?"

Luna stopped and made a funny face, inclining her head sideways and biting her lips.

"Well… maybe" said Luna "But it's not like they have all the attention either… I just have this funny feeling when I see Harry and Rob. Harry has this penetrating look, as if he knew what we were thinking."

"Yeah!" exclaimed Ginny "And Rob reminds me of the Headmaster! It's pretty scary. Do you remember that day during Christmas?"

"Some parts of it" muttered Luna while looking down to the ground.

"Me too, but…" she said looking for the right words "Do you remember when they stopped…_them?"_

Luna just nodded

"It was nothing like the _Protego_ charm" she said after a few seconds.

"Exactly!" said Ginny anxiously "And not even the other shields that Kari taught us were like that!"

"SHHH!" called Luna furiously "Do you want your mom to hear you? We are not supposed to tell anyone!"

"Oh yeah" Ginny said shyly "I forgot…"

They continued talking as they walked around the alley, checking out all the stores, having fun, telling jokes. At certain point they wondered who their new professor of Defense would be, whishing that Kari could come back.

After about an hour, they realized it was time to go back and look for her mum and dad so they started running towards the Leaky Cauldron when something caught their attention, something that made Ginny really mad. How did they have gotten out of the Hospital! They were supposed to stay there for their safety! How could they do this to her parents and everyone that worked to protect them! Oh, but they were going to listen to her!

In front of Gringotts, a foursome that they knew very well, walked out carelessly. She found herself in front of the very same green eyes that had started everything.

A/N: HEY I'm back! I hope you are enjoying the story. I've been working slowly because I have a new job and got little time but here is the next chapter. Please leave reviews and tell me what you think of it!


	5. Dryl's Hammer

A/N: It has taken so long to update that I didn't want to have it read by a beta. I have been very, _very _busy with work and haven't got any chance for writing. But finally I recently had some time to work on the fic and I plan to continue, so enjoy and please review!

**Chapter 5: Dryl's Hammer**

The instant he heard her voice, Robert knew the day would end in disaster. He could only hope he was wrong.

"What are YOU doing here?" Ginny said angrily as she strode towards the four surprised friends.

Deliberately slowly, Robert glanced sideways towards Ginny and Luna, wishing that they had really not forgotten to set up their disguises again. He closed his eyes and sighed. He was sure he had heard Ron mutter some curses under his breath, while Harry stood frozen in front of the red head. Hermione was caught off guard and started looking all around in case her parents were close by.

The two girls finally reached them, with angry scowls on their faces. But something unusual happened.

The Weasley girl's temper could be sensed from a mile away, her arms crossed in front of her, her face blushed and her hazel eyes glaring at the four of them. But what caught his attention was not Ginny's behavior, but the reaction that Harry had.

'_Why is he so nervous?' _ Rob thought.

His hand instantly went to his hair, making the angry mop that stood on top of his head look even messier. His stance changed and he looked nervous, but he wasn't sure if it was because they had been caught. Harry tried to stutter some words but failed miserably and his green eyes went down to the floor.

At that moment, Luna decided to join her friend and stated glaring and adopted a similar stance from Ginny.

"Well" snarled Ginny "I am waiting for your answer. WHY ARE U HERE"

The last words were spoken in such a harsh tone that Harry flinched and backed a step away. Robert was about to speak but the blonde beat him to it.

"Even more important" Luna said, her dreamy voice long gone "How did you even get here. There are supposed to be guards posted outside your room."

"Umm…" said Harry as he struggled to find the right words. Finally snapping out of it, Rob decided to speak up.

"This is none of your business"

Ron slapped his forehead with his hand and shook his head right at the moment the words came out.

"That was dumb, Rob" he muttered.

"Excuse me?" snarled Ginny, so angry, that Rob had to reckon the girl was scary outright.

"Of course it is our business!" interrupted Luna "Haven't you seen all the precautions that the adults have taken, all the worries that your families have passed? Don't you care at all?"

Hermione was about to open her mouth in an attempt to fix things but she was cut off before she could even utter a single word.

"What if mum had caught you, Ron" Ginny said speaking to her brother "Or your granddad Rob? After all the measures they had to take so you could be safe…"

"We can protect ourselves" said Rob. Needlessly to say, the looks that both girls were giving him, forced the four of them to take one step back.

"Rob, I think you just made it worse mate" said Ron chuckling nervously.

"Really?" said Ginny on top of her voice "Is that so? So the _golden children_ from Hogwarts don't need the protection from the adults… they are all powerful! Why should anyone bother to put up wards and Aurors on their rooms so the press won't find you?"

"Ginny I think you need to low down your voice" said Harry finally snapping out of his trance.

"How dare you?..."

"_Enough"_ said Hermione forcefully, making everyone look at her.

"I don't think so" said Luna interrupting her speech "You suddenly appear after one year and you think you can do anything you want? Step over everyone and everything?"

Both girls speech continued for several minutes, pointing all the problems they were going to have with their parents. Rob glanced at Luna, whose face was flushed – not as deeply as Ginny's, for that matter – and decided they might have been right. Perhaps they should have asked the adults to bring them to Diagon alley….

'_No…'_

Finally ending his trail of thoughts, Rob looked around, noticing that Ginny was still chastising them for having escaped from the hospital. Luna had a similar opinion and was scowling profusely at them. Ron seemed nervous when his sister had said that the rest of the Weasleys were waiting for them along with the Grangers, so they could go visit _them_ and bring them some presents. Ginny of course had pointed that they did not deserve the gifts. Taking deep bread, he frowned and prepared to confront the fuming girl.

"She said it was enough" he commanded, his voice older than his age.

It was the turn of the girls to be caught off guard. At that moment, Rob stood taller and his eyes darkened briefly. He looked as if he had aged a couple of years in a blink of an eye.

"We don't need protections and that's final" he said. Harry then took a step forward, getting at the left side of Rob.

"You may think we do not appreciate what you families have been doing for us" Harry said "But there are some things that we need to get. And they can't know about them."

"The question is" said Ron fir the first time as he smirked at the two girls "Are you going to rat us out to mum and dad? Or can you keep this quiet?"

"You can try…" added Hermione with a similar smug look on her face "But we'll deny it."

"And how do you think you'll stop us from telling them?" demanded Ginny finally snapping out of her trance.

Luna locked her eyes directly at Rob's and for a moment, the boy was startled. But he then frowned and tried to decipher what she was trying to do. Or what was wrong with this girl altogether.

"You got the most serious Nargle infestation I have ever seen"

Rob raised an eyebrow and the argument between Ginny and the rest of them stopped. He didn't quite understand what a Nargle was but he was going investigate it.

"What for Merlin's beard is a Nargle, Luna?" said Rob, but shook his head "Never mind I don't think I want to know. Like we were saying is up to you. You can blab about us escaping but I'm pretty sure we won't be caught. Either way, we need to get to some of the stores here."

Both younger girls seemed to be thinking about something and Luna was the first to speak.

"What could be so important that you need to buy in Diagon Alley that you couldn't ask the grownups? We told you, they already have bought your school stuff and some other things as well. Is there really something else that you could need or are you off to buy an expensive broom or something like that?"

"Like Harry said" Rob commented "It is none of your business"

"Please" said Ginny pleading at Harry "Can we come with you, at least?"

Harry looked at Rob who gave him a look that said '_We have discussed this, they can't come'._ Ron and Hermione looked nervous but silently agreed with Rob.

"I'm sorry Ginny" he said, his emerald eyes showing regret "I wish we could tell you… but… it's important that no one knows about this"

"We won't tell" said both girls at unison.

"There are other ways for someone to make you talk…" said Rob grimly.

"Come on" said Luna looking innocently at Rob "Please, we won't tell. We want to go with you! We won't tell anyone. And I can help you get rid of the Nargles on your head!"

"It is final" Rob said, but for an instant he hesitated and thought about the possibility of telling someone of their plans. But that thought was instantly crushed when the images of his haunted past returned. Screams of children, women and men alike echoing in his head as the reminder of what it was they were against. A look of sadness crossed his face for an instant, unnoticed by everyone.

Only the blonde girl in front of him formed a small frown on her face. His demeanor changed before anyone else could notice and he erected the façade he had built on the days after the massacre of his orphanage.

Luna didn't know what could have happened but she got distracted as Ginny change her strategy again and stood angry in front of a serious Harry Potter. His emerald eyes shone with a mixture of annoyance and regret at the temperamental red-head who was demanding an answer from the friends of his brother. She, on the contrary, decided to stay with the innocent pleading girl tactic and approached Robert. In a second that seemed years for the boy, Luna reached for his arm.

Little did she know that she would never be the same again.

At the very touch of her hand, Robert felt something strange, a small jolt of electricity coursing through his body. He gazed at Luna and noticed her eyes had gone white.

Luna felt trapped. She was in a small room with a single bed and a bookcase. A small boy she recognized instantly rose when a lightning rumbled against the dark night. She was looking at the scene as if she was there, but her sight was glassy as if a veil was covering her face.

Another thunder struck and the first scream was heard.

A younger Rob stood up instantly and ran into the hallway in which children and nuns were screaming in panic. He was holding something but she couldn't see it as she was looking at the whole scene from behind the boy. She was horrified when the first murdered boy was lying down and saw how Rob leaned down crying next to him. She was too scared to keep going and begged whatever force had brought her here to stop and take her back. But it was in vain as she was pulled to the next scene were a dark cloaked wizard murdered a girl mercilessly. Finally Rob reached the first floor followed by Luna. She let out a deep breath she had been holding unknowingly and relaxed when she saw that he was going to escape.

That moment was when three other dark wizards chose to appear, one in each of the escapes routes. She tried to look around for someone or something that could help Rob. But the young boy stood tall and proud and faced the three attackers.

The image shifted and dizziness overtook the girl. She could only make flashes and streaks of colors around her until her vision stabilized. She was on some kind of beautiful forest, surrounded by bright green trees, with tiny colorful flowers under them. A small creek found its way through a rocky path as the gentle splashing filled her ears. The whole scene was bathed with the soft sunshine of a spring morning. She then noticed another figure walking ahead from her, slowly. She could see the person deliberately taking its time to enjoy the surroundings and she could understand as it was a beautiful one. Then, the person walked to a clearing. It was a circle of neatly cut rock with a small patch of grass in the center, where a single white stone pillar stood. A gentle hum emanated from the bright stone.

But just before the person touched this artifact, the image ended and she was returned to Diagon Alley, two years after the vision she had just witnessed. She just noted her hand was still gracing Rob's arm but he was just barely noticing, as if not a single second had passed.

Instantly she recoiled and held her hand looking hurt, which made Robert frown. Ginny noticed something had happened and that her friend was not all right.

Robert however had already taken a step towards both girls to ask Luna what was wrong. But he was received by an angry scowl from Ginny and an almost crying Luna. Ginny placed herself between both of them and stood fiercely as if daring Rob to take another step forwards.

"What did you do to her?" she asked holding Luna's shoulder with an arm.

"I didn't do anything!" he exclaimed outraged. His face changed and tried to approach Luna once again.

"Don't touch me" said Luna numbly.

Robert froze at the simple three words and his heart sank. He couldn't understand what had happened. One moment Luna was touching his arm and the next her eyes had gone white and she had recoiled as if he was a poisonous animal. He fought back a tear that was threatening to fall and successfully won his inner battle.

"As you wish" he said seriously.

"I think it's time we left" said Luna in the same monotonous voice.

"Yea" was her only reply.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had been watching the scene apprehensively unable to understand what had occurred. Harry was amazed at the speed that Ginny had been at Luna's side after her unknown predicament. He looked at her fierce hazel eyes and was reminded of someone, but he couldn't remember who. The red streaks of hair falling down her face and the flustered scowl she held didn't affect him, instead making him curious.

Robert, however wasn't even paying attention at the red-haired Weasley girl. He was just looking directly at Luna, who would not dare to raise her face from her position.

"Luna" he pleaded "Are you all right?"

He then decided to act against his better judgment and reached to her. The two girls didn't react and his hand brushed with the lightest of touches. When nothing happened, Luna let out a deep breath that she been holding and relaxed. She reached her heart with her hand and looked directly at Robert.

"Yes, Robert" she said "I think I am okay"

And with that, both girls left.

"Let's get going" said Harry.

In spite of what just had happened, Harry's smile reached from ear to ear as he strode side by side with his three friends. The price they paid to get access to the Potter's vault was minimal to the benefits. The trident that served as "bribe" for Ragnok had indeed been brought from Atlantis, and they had offered a goblin a chance to visit in the future. Legends said, as the bank's director had told them, that there were treasures beyond imagination that were hidden inside the ruins of the lost city. After that, Ragnok's attitude against the four of them changed. Apparently, offering that kind of gift was a symbol of some sort of friendship for the goblins, so, making them guests of honors at Gringotts. They had tea with Ragnok while the paperwork was filled, and with some "help" from their new acquaintance, Harry received access to his family account and they all had been shocked of course. The amount of gold was enormous… even monstrous.

But Robert had a cold voice when they had gotten there. They had to use the money carefully without anyone noticing. Many people would be curious to know how suddenly Harry had acquired more money than he was allowed. During the long weeks on the wizard's hospital, they had meticulously planned what they should buy with the money.

Several times they wondered if they were doing the right thing. The four teenagers had agreed that somehow they felt that they were losing something by being so serious about their efforts to train against this so called enemy. Even so, they had formed a solution and they decided to split their time, having fun, learning at school and training. They debated whether they should keep holding back their abilities so people would underestimate them. It wasn't a very easy decision but the four of them agreed that they would show their knowledge until later, for the meaningful exams, particularly the O.W.L's and the N.E.W.T's.

Since they had lost the book of magic, they needed to continue their training, and Hermione had insisted on making a gigantic list of books they could use. The three boys had agreed, albeit not with the excitement that Hermione would've wanted. Hermione had too forced the three boys to agree going shopping for new clothes, especially for Harry. Additionally they would get some custom robes that could protect them in any way possible. Their potion supplies they would get later when they visited the Alley with their families, so they wouldn't worry too much about those.

The things they had planned could not be revealed. They had so many plans for the relatively small amount of money they had retrieved. Harry had said he wanted to try some of the element infusion, and he needed to buy any sort of item that already had been imbued, for better understanding. Even Ron wanted to give a shot at something that his mentor had commented, making electronic devices work at Hogwarts. The rest of them had been surprised at his dedication, obviously. And Rob had his own project, and he needed some rune stones to work on it.

The four Gryffindors disillusioned themselves taking enough precautions so no one would see them disappear. They walked together towards the first store and unfortunately for the blokes it was Gladrags. With a sigh the three boys reappeared following Hermione. After a couple of hours picking up robes and having an excited Hermione fuss on the three boys, they approached happily to the counter.

"I see you have finally made your choice, children" the shopkeeper said in a 'refined' tone. She was an elegant lady around her forties, clad in a very beautiful light purple robe that screamed Aristocracy. The woman barely even looked at the four teenagers carrying the merchandise.

"Which one of these are you going to choose?" she asked Robert.

"All of them ma'am" he answered in a confident voice.

The woman flinched but hastily recovered and crossed her hands behind her back and eyed the four younglings meticulously.

"I don't think you can afford all these items, young sir" she said mockingly "Are you sure your parents have enough gold to pay for everything?"

Robert frowned and eyed her coldly. Without a single word he took one of the bottomless bags and dropped it on the counter. The tingle of the golden coins drew the attention of the lady.

"Pardon me, good sir" she said watching the bag carefully "It will be five hundred galleons for everything."

"Ma'am" Hermione asked "I was wondering if there your store offered other sort of clothing… something that could help us if someone were to be rude to us."

The woman cleared her throat and looked around for any meddling customers.

"I'm afraid that we do not have that type of merchandise… but for a, how could I say, generous offer I could point you kind sirs and lady to the right place."

Again, wordlessly, Robert took out his bag of coins and gave the lady a good sum of galleons. The lady smiled wickedly as she gathered the gold in her personal purse.

"There is a… questionable store on the outskirts of Diagon Alley." She said warily "I'm afraid you will have to wander to Knockturn Alley for the merchandise you seek."

"Knockturn Alley?" asked Harry frowning.

"Yes, young sir" she said in her elegant voice "It is a dark, gloomy street, full of shady characters and untrustworthy salesmen. Nevertheless, their market holds some merchandise that the Ministry would not approve. Now off you go children, I have many customers to attend"

The woman then hurried to the other end of the store and disappeared.

The difference between the two markets could be seeing at the very second they entered the dark alley. There were no children running from store to store followed by their anxious parents. No Hogwarts student could be seen shopping supplies for the new term, no happy couple of smiling families could be seen walking through the street. Instead a handful of dwellers walked around carefully, looking behind their shoulders… talking in whispers. The buildings had a gray, dirty color and it seemed that the sun never reached as dark clouds covered the sky. Oddly, it had been a sunny day before when they had entered Diagon Alley.

Not wanting to take any chances, the four gryffindors searched for the store the lady at Gladrags had told them about. It was easily found since it was the least dreadful one. A sign hung over the door, carved in wood.

"_Dlyr's & Thramek's"_

"That's not a common name" said Harry.

"How do you define 'common' in the magic world, Harry?" asked Hermione.

Harry just shrugged and pushed the entrance door.

The place emanated a scent of burnt coal and metal. The walls were made out of thick stone and they were adorned with swords, armors and shields. Even some weapons they had never seen before. Behind the counter there was a door from which a clinging sound was coming. Rob was pretty much certain it was the sound of a hammer striking an anvil.

'_This is a forge' _he thought.

The four of them walked and sounded the bell on the counter. The hammer stopped resonated a few more times before stopping and the door was open. But they couldn't see anyone over the counter. However, they did heard steps, so they reached over and tried to catch a glance.

"What do you want!" snarled a voice, making them trip and fall back.

The four Gryffindors grunted as they struggled to get up. A small man walked around the counter and made way towards them. He was unlike anything they had seen. He wasn't taller than Harry but he looked old, perhaps on his fiftys, but he wasn't sure. His long hair was red and his face was covered in a long bushy beard. His nose was big and round and his eyes were a cold blue. He was clad in brown linen shirt and trousers held by a red leather belt. It could be said that he could lose some weight from the look of his belly and in his strong arms he held a huge rectangular hammer.

"Have you never seen a dwarf before?" he said in an angry huff that sounded even worse with his rough voice.

"How could you?" he continued "The only things you wizards are worried about are yourselves… and perhaps the goblins. Yeah… the goblins have all your money that's why you pay attention to them."

Harry looked like he wanted to say something but was interrupted by the rambling of the small man as he tried to unsuccessfully fix the items around his store.

"HA! But you forget about real treasures. Oh, what I could make with the right supplies. Foolish goblins they only care for shiny things" said the Dwarf. He then stopped abruptly and glanced at the four befuddled youngsters.

"What is it you want here with old Dlyr?" he said in an accusing tone "Answer me!"

"I'm sorry" said Harry "It's just… I'm rather new to the wizarding world, you see I'm only twelve and I had never seen a dwarf before. I didn't mean to disrespect you sir."

"Hell, I have lived all my life with wizards and not even I had seen a dwarf before!" announced Ron excitedly.

"Language Ronald!" exclaimed Hermione "Pardon me sir, this… blokes forgot all about manners."

The short man opened his eyes in surprise for a moment.

"Manners won't get you long way here missy… we aren't easily impressed like the goblins. Our respect is gained in other ways. Your kind has so little respect for us that they have even forgotten we exist. HA! They think we are extinct. Barmy! The whole lot of you! That's what you are! Now what blazes did you want here so I can go back to work?"

"Well" said Robert "A certain person recommended your abilities, Master Dwarf. We thought maybe you could make something for us. Something… _strong."_

The word seemed to catch the attention of the Dwarf and Harry smirked when he understood what Robert was doing.

"Ignorance is common between wizards nowadays" he continued "But according to myths of the muggles, dwarfs' blacksmiths are some of the best. Maybe our demands could even be a challenge for you, but if you aren't interested we might as well look for a Goblin forger."

The dwarf seemed to think for a second while he leaned against the counter. An amused smile filled his face.

"What could four kids like you possibly need from me that would be a real challenge for me?"

"Some of this and some of that" said Harry smirking "Perhaps something that can hide us from unwanted eyes? Something light yet strong that could protect us."

"As hard as a dragon scale and light as a feather" said the Dwarf having walked towards a window staring into nothingness. He seemed to be reminiscing as his eyes appeared to daze off. He abruptly shook his head and walked behind the counter.

"What you ask is impossible that kind of thing hasn't been done if many years. If you want something strong it's going to be heavy and if you want it light it won't be as strong. People think dragon scale armors are light. BAH! Those mingy attempts of armor are like silk against what I could do with a Horntail. Who are you kids! Tell me now!"

"My name is Harry P…"

"Say no more!" said the Dwarf amusedly "You are the Hogwart's golden kids! Didn't the old man have you hidden? Perhaps I should hear what you have to say if you can escape his grasp."

"Hey!" said Robert "_Pops_ is a very power…."

"Yes he is" said the Dwarf "The most powerful… in England. Even so four kids could escape his so called protection. That is the only reason I'm going to listen to you. Or perhaps was it just luck that brought you here to me this day?"

"It has nothing to do with luck" said Robert sternly.

"Prove it then" the Dwarf answered amusedly.

An idea formed in Harry's mind, Robert noticed. He had a half concentrated half smirking look in his face, so he would let his friend show the Dwarf something that would impress him.

Without a single word Harry extended his hand and before the Dwarf could come with any kind of remark, electricity filled the air around his extended arm and a hilt appeared in his hand. The electric surge flowed upwards as the blade formed in front of him and after a few second he was wielding his sword _Xalasmos_.

The Dwarf was frozen on the spot. His jaw dropped and his eyes were open in surprise. He tried to stutter some words but failed miserably. Slowly, he took a single step towards the green-eyed boy. Said boy stood defiantly and smirked at him. But the short man was still too engrossed watching the blade to notice the smug look on the four children.

"This is…" began the Dwarf "Where… where did you get that"

"A friend of mine gave it to me" said Harry innocently "Does it seem familiar"

"By Thor's hammer" whispered Dryl still amazed, his eyes fixed on blade which was still showing small jolts of electricity. It was quite the sight actually.

"May I…" he managed to blurt out extending both hands as if pleading.

Harry eyed him for a second and with a small flurry he held the sword to the dwarf with both hands, parallel to the ground. Dryl accepted the blade and took it with both hands as if he were handling glass. Trembling slightly he took the sword by the hilt and held it vertically. A small jolt of electricity coursed once again throughout the sword.

"I'm speechless" said the Dwarf "This…. This masterpiece was not made by Dwarf, Goblin or Men."

Robert frowned at the revelation. During his short life in the wizarding world he had only heard of few races that were known for their craftsmanship and skill in forgery. Most of the people only knew about either Goblin-made or Wizard-made artifacts. He was astounded to know that there were also Dwarfs and that nobody remembered them. But then, perhaps there were other magical races that were forgotten or were hidden like the Dwarfs.

"Then, who else could have made the sword" asked Harry in confusion, voicing his own concerns.

"I do not know…." Said the Dwarf "There are some who could… but their work is not very… nice. This blade… this blade was made to _protect_ whereas the other possible creators only work for the opposite action."

"You mean… to kill?" said Ron a bit apprehensively.

"Aye" was the answer that Dryl gave him "The runes here…" he said pointing to some silver symbols on the blade "This I have never seen in my entire life… and I am 107 years old. And the magic behind it! It's unbelievable! Few dwarfs are able to imbue swords with elemental magic, let alone use it!. Perhaps the older ones could tell something about it…"

"Are there many of your kind?" asked Hermione with her usual inquisitive tone.

"We are quite a few" he replied without taking his eyes from the blade.

An uneasy silence fell for a couple of minutes before the Dwarf finally returned the sword in a similar manner that the boy had given it to him.

"A beautiful piece of work I must say" Dryl said "But I still prefer my axe! Now, you have my attention lads, what is it you would like me to create?"

"Well, we want some kind of armor" said Harry contemplating how to put their needs in words, without revealing too much. "But not exactly… you see, we want some kind of robes that will give us an advantage in a duel"

The dwarf laughed and his booming voice resounded in the whole room.

"Are you expecting to get into many fights lads?" he said amused.

"Actually yes…" said Ron anxiously.

Dryl's expression changed to a frown and eyes the teenagers sternly.

"Against who exactly?" he demanded.

"There are some bad people…" Harry began "That want to hurt us. We need to learn how to defend ourselves. The grownups are never there when we are actually being attacked. It has happened several times now."

"They call themselves _Snake Lords_" said Robert mimicking the Dwarf's serious expression.

"DO NOT SPEAK THEIR NAMES!" Bellowed Dryl.

An angry scowl formed on the dwarf's face and he immediately closed the door and locked them in, before barricading the windows that led outside. Deliberately slowly he turn to see the four kids who were now looking concerned.

"Is this some kind of joke?" he questioned harshly.

"I'm afraid it is not" said Robert "The question now is, can we trust you?"

"Do you not understand?" he snarled "We do not speak their names for a reason! Blasted, wretched things they are!"

"But we intend to fight them" replied Robert.

"Fight them!" the Dwarf exclaimed exasperatedly "Are you BLOODY crazy? These…. Things are not your common Death Eater! How can you children with pointy little toys defeat evil wizards trained in the darkest magic. You can't even do any magic without your ministry knowing!"

"Do you even know what you getting into?" he whispered harshly "I don't think you can imagine the horrors you are speaking about!"

"We know" said Ron somehow bored "Voldemort is one of them… and we have fought one of their vampires and defended from a couple of their wizards."

"That is nothing compared to what they can do" said the Dwarf "Perhaps the wizards have forgotten all about them, and the goblins merely choose to ignore them while they can. But both of us know what is to come now. You have awakened them have you not?"

"What do you mean awakened?" asked Hermione "We have heard that before and we've been explained what happened all those years ago… but why now?"

"They have been laying low" he said in whispers "Who knows what they were waiting for. But I do know something. Their last attack was against us dwarfs."

The four children stared at the short man expectantly.

"These words do not leave this room, is that understood?" the dwarf demanded. A silent nod was his reply.

"More than a hundred years ago, my father was one of the greatest blacksmiths the world had ever seen. His skills were unmatched and his craftwork was truly remarkable. His secret resided in his many experiences throughout the world. But what made his work the best was his hammer. This hammer was said to be a gift from Thor himself, passed down generations and generations of my family. But a dreaded day, the…. _Snakes _came. They tore apart a dozen of dwarfs, including my father. He fought gallantly, but in the end, one of the Lords struck him, and the hammer has not been seen since then."

"This hammer" asked Hermione "Was it really very important for all the dwarfs"

"You can't imagine…." Said Dryl sadly "It would be as if taking the boy-who-lived and make him disappear."

The four children stood silent looking at each other.

"I'll tell you what…" said the Dwarf after sighing "I will give you your armor. I'll begin them today. But in return you must bring the hammer back"

"What?" shouted four voices at the same time.

"You heard me!" said the Dwarf "Return the hammer or I will not help you ever again, and I'll take the armors from you. But if you succeed, oh you can't imagine what I can forge! Now leave! I have nothing else to say to you!"

The four children walked with serious faces. They hadn't expected to be rejected, much less earn another responsibility. Robert looked at Harry expressionlessly and the green eyed boy merely shook his head.

"Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea?" asked Hermione unsure of what to say.

"No I think we should go back".

"With Ginny and Luna and now the dwarf the day has gone from bad to worse" commented Ron.

Rob stopped abruptly frozen on the spot.

"We are so STUPID!" he bellowed "We have to go back NOW, not later NOW. We stayed far too long in with Dryl."

"What why?" asked Harry incredulously.

"Because Ginny will tell her mom that they saw us outside the hospital! They might not believe her at first but if they don't find us they will know something is wrong and that we lied!"

"Bloody Hell" cursed Ron "Mum will be furious if she finds out. Why didn't we think of that sooner? We have been gone for three hours; let's just hope they haven't gone back."

Without a single word Hermione grabbed Rob's arm and Ron followed suit with Harry. A gentle breeze blew and the four teenagers image began fading as sand carried by the wind.

Ginny strode angrily behind his mum. They had told her a couple hours ago that her brother and his friends had disobeyed their orders and left the hospital, but the adults merely shrugged it off telling her and Luna that at least three Aurors were posted all times at their door and they wouldn't have let them out without telling them.

She risked a glance towards her blond friend. Luna had not muttered a single word since they had left Diagon Alley. Her gaze was unfocused and her hair messy all around her face.

"Luna" she whispered to her friend "Are you ok?"

"Not here" Luna answered practically begging "I will tell you, but please not here."

Ginny just nodded before coming to an abrupt halt. She glanced forward and noticed they were already on the hospital room's door. Ginny was still mad at her brother and his friends. She couldn't believe the way that they had shunned her and Luna. What could've possibly happened that they couldn't tell anyone what they were doing?

Oh but they were going to get it now. Ginny could only think of one way of them getting to Diagon Alley without anyone noticing and it was by the Knight Bus. And as fast as it could be it was nowhere near the speed of apparition. She wasn't usually like this, getting mad at his brother. In fact, they had just came back she should be thrilled. But the way that Rob and Harry had spoken to them, it felt like betrayal. In her mind they should get whatever it was coming.

"Shall we?" said Dumbledore as he opened the door for the Grangers and the Weasleys.

Ginny couldn't believe what she was seeing and neither could Luna.

Sitting on one of the beds were Harry and Ron playing a match of Wizard's chess while Hermione read a book with fairytales that her mother had bought for her a few days before. Rob was the only one standing, leaned against the frame of the window, glancing outside to the London skies.

At the moment they saw the door opening, Rob was the first to jump up and hugged his grandfather, followed closely by the rest of them as they greeted their families.

"So what brings you today?" asked Harry innocently.

Ginny frowned at the lot of them but they merely smiled as if nothing had happened. She couldn't believe it, they were going to get away with it.

"We have something for you" spoke the Headmaster "But first we need to bring up a question"

The "golden children" looked at Dumbledore confused but the elder merely smiled.

"You need not be concerned, children" he said amusedly "We, that is your parents and me, wondered if you would like to return for Hogwarts for your second year."

"YES!" they all said at unison.

"Well, then we got something for all of you" said Mrs Weasley as she enlarged the contents of a small box she had, revealing all the supplies they had brought from Diagon Alley.

"Wow, thank you Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley" said Harry innocently "You didn't need to get this for us."

Ginny couldn't believe the nerve of them, acting as if nothing had happened and lying to everyone. Luna frowned when Hermione started fussing about books and essays. She didn't seem remotely talkative when they met at Diagon Alley.

"Hypocrites" Ginny muttered.

"Did you say something, Ginny" Robert asked while giving her a confused look.

"Nothing" she replied shaking his head.

"Are you OK, Dear?" asked Mrs. Weasley "Is is about you girls confusing some kids with your brother and his friends?"

"What do you mean?" questioned Rob, making everyone turn around and look at Ginny.

"It was _nothing_" she said forcefully.

"Oh well" Rob said shrugging it off.

"Ginny, Luna" Mr. Weasley called "You can stay here while we get the discharge papers ready. It will be done in no time."

"Sure, daddy" she said, while Luna merely nodded.

The Grangers hugged their daughter one more time while Dumbledore offered the door for the Weasleys. The headmaster took a last look at Robert that lasted just one second, but Ginny noticed some weirdness that the elder shrugged off quickly.

When they finally left the room, the looks on the older teenagers changed.

"So you told them, huh?" asked Rob.

"Damn right I did!" she yelled.

"My my" said Ron "Language, sis. Hasn't mum told you not to curse?"

"Shut up, _Ronald_" Ginny replied furiously.

"Guys" interjected Hermione "Can we try to get along?"

"You lied" said Luna, speaking for the first time.

"Sorry?" asked Harry

"You lied to all of them, to the adults" she said a bit louder "How did u even get here faster than us? We apparated."

"I'm sorry L…" began saying Rob but Ginny interrupted.

"Can't tell us?" asked Ginny "That's a load of…"

"It is not" her brother stopped her "It's for the best; we don't want to put you in danger"

"Ron" said Robert "That's enough"

"Right" he muttered embarrassed "Slipped there…"

"What do you mean in danger?" asked Ginny "You are going to tell us, and tell us _NOW!"_

"Or what?" asked Harry.

Ginny was enraged and for a split second it looked like she was going to take out her wand, but she only stomped her foot and took Luna from the arm.

"We are going to our parents" she said looking back at the four of them "But don't think I won't hesitate in hexing you at Hogwarts If u keep this 'big secret' from the adults any more time, or if you escape again."

With that, she closed the door forcefully behind her, leaving Robert wondering once again if they were doing the right thing.


	6. The elf's warning

**A/N: **** I sincerely apologize for having taken so long in updating. It's just since I am graduating this semester I haven't had enough time to work in the story. Nevertheless It is ****NOT**** Abandoned. Anyways, here's the sixth chapter and I will continue with the story whenever I can.**

**What are your thoughts? Should I continue the story?**

**Here goes nothing:**

**Chapter 6: The Elf's warning**

The wind blew softly, rustling the foliage around the hill on the surroundings of the Burrow. It was a clear day, the sun shining, bathing the green pasture, while birds chirped softly. Near the pond, four teenagers lay down, away from the prying eyes of both muggles and wizards. Ron had made sure his parents were gone and Hermione had created an obscuring spell that hid them from the Aurors patrolling the grounds – extra protection provided by the government for the safety of the boy-who-lived and his friends.

A fain trace of the spell surrounded them, a clear veil that allowed them to see whoever passed, but not the other way around. They had been bored out of their minds and they needed to get away from Ginny and Luna. The two young witches had taken on a mission to watch over them even more than the Aurors, preventing them to get any training.

Worse than that was that one day Robert had caught a glimpse of the Book of Magic. He didn't understand how it was possible, but he had seen Ginny and Luna whispering together huddled inside her room. He had managed to take a peek but retreated immediately. Harry had confirmed it later when he actually saw the cover of the book.

It was that reason that forced them to come up with a plan, which was already going on.

"Is everyone ready?" asked Harry.

"Do you think they know about what we are going to do?" Hermione replied slightly nervous. She had already stated that she was against them stealing the book.

"Are you sure you can't ask them to give it back?"

"There would be too many questions involved, you know that" Robert said gravely.

"Anyways" interrupted Ron "We have to do this quick if we don't want to get caught"

"OK then, move on"

One would think that taking the book from a couple of girls without them noticing would be an easy task. But one way or the other their plans were being stopped either by the girls themselves or the twins. Apparently Ginny had asked them for their help, which they were happy to provide once she threatened to hex them.

Rob and Harry's role was simple: they were going to be the distraction. At that moment Rob opened his eyes and the spell vanished. The Aurors didn't notice anything and merely shrugged when they saw the four children walking back to the burrow.

Swiftly, Harry, Ron and Hermione raised their wands and sent a confundus charm to the three closest Aurors, who immediately looked away as if something had called their attention. In that split second the children disappeared.

* * *

"Ginny" said Luna in a whisper "Did you hear that?"

"What?"

A rumbling came from below and a sound of glass breaking reached their ears. Ginny stood up and took out her wand.

"Let's get the twins" she said "Hide the book, it might just be another attempt from _them_ to take it. I do wonder how they know about it or why they want it so much."

Luna took the book and hid it on a loose wood on the floor. Quickly sealing it, she followed Ginny, taking her wand on the way out.

Unknown to them, a pair of eyes watched them with curiosity.

"Who's there!" yelled Fred and George at the same time as they took the final steps down towards the living room, followed closely by Ginny and Luna. An eerie silence filled the entire house, chilling their bones as they scanned the living room.

"We should call the Aurors" whispered Luna timidly "Who knows what lunatic could have broke in"

"Shh!" said the twins "It's probably Ron and Harry trying to play a prank"

"See?" Ginny replied "That's what I said"

Just as she ended the sentence all the windows were shut one after the other. The girls screamed and ran back up and the twins glanced left and right.

"They can't use magic!" said Fred.

"It's not Harry and Ron" said George trembling "We need to get the Aurors"

A rumbling sound came from upstairs and the shriek of the girls was not far behind. Without thinking it twice, the twins leapt up and ran up the stairs.

"Ginny! Luna!" they shouted "Are you…. What?"

As they came into the room they discovered the weirdest scene. From one of his feet, Ron was hanging from the roof as Hermione lied down against one of the walls, her eyes unfocused.

"Could you get me down please?" said Ron crossing his arms.

"Let me think about it for a minute, dear brother" said Ginny angrily "Nope, not a chance. Explain yourself, what were you two doing in my room? And where's Potter and Dumbledore."

"Not here" said Ron "And what did you do to Hermione"

"That would have been us, Ronniekins" said the twins with identical evil smiles "It is rude to intrude in someone else's room you know? Maybe what our baby sister told us was true, you are trying to steal something from her."

"That is NOT true" he replied indignantly.

"And what were you doing inside my room!" she demanded harshly.

"I heard something and came see if you were okay" he said crossing his arms "And right when I stepped in I suddenly find myself hanging from the roof and Hermione is blasted into the air."

"The trap was not supposed to be triggered until you reached for the compartment" said George and Fred at the same time glaring at their younger brother.

"I think you knew that already, Ronald" said Luna.

A pair of steps was heard coming up the stairs, while on the corner of the room, Hermione started to regain consciousness.

"Ouch" Hermione groaned feeling behind her head "What did just happen, Ron? I… oh, dear"

She found herself at the receiving end of Ginny and Luna's glare.

"Oh hey Ginny, Luna" she said, her face red as a tomato "Fred, George, we came up to see what was happening when everything went pitch black for me. What happened?"

But before they could even start shouting at them, Rob and Harry entered abruptly, looking surprised. Or so they were trying to achieve.

"Fred, George!" Harry shouted but stopped when he saw Ron shaking his head "Umm, What is happening here? Another of your jokes, guys?"

"I think you know better" started Fred "Ickle Harrykins, you see… this was a trap set up to get anyone trying to get to Ginny's things"

"And why would Ron want to do that" asked Rob, as he entered the room, his eyes fixed on the twins "And why was Hermione blasted away?"

The twins squirmed a bit but regained their composure.

"Stop Lying!" demanded Luna, startling everyone "There is no use, we know you wanted what we were hiding, that's why we asked for the twins help. They do believe us that you went out that day to Diagon Alley, and they agreed to help. What do you have to say?"

"Nothing" said Ron behind them, who had already freed himself unnoticed by everyone but Harry, Rob and Hermione. "Come on guys, let's get going. Forget about them and their jokes. You know, we actually thought something had happened."

And with any more words exchanged, he helped Hermione get up and left his sister room, followed closely by Harry and Robert. They were about to question Ron, but with a serious look he silenced them and motioned for them to go to his room.

Ginny and Luna looked at each other confused about what had happened, but the twins had identical angry glares.

"They are not telling us something" said George

"We know" replied Ginny.

* * *

"What did just happen?" asked Robert with his arms crossed, after they entered Ron's room "We gave you a distraction, and enough time to get the book and get the hell out. Those traps couldn't have gotten you. Hermione would have done something about it"

"That's the problem mate!" said Ron harshly "She actually did do something! All the traps were gone."

"Then explain to us please why the book isn't here right now" Rob demanded.

"Easy mate" said Harry, knowing how short tempered he could become "Let them finish."

"Thank you" said Ron. He then glanced quickly at Hermione, who just nodded.

"Let me show you what happened" she said "Dobby could you please come?"

A _crack_ was then heard and a small creature appeared. It was two feet tall and had long thin arms. Its head was a bit too big for his small body, long bat-like ears and had big round eyes that were opened wide in excitement.

"This is Dobby" said Hermione gesturing to the little creature "A house elf"

"So glad Dobby is, to finally be meeting the great Harry Potter himself" the creature said in a squeaky voice, giving him a ridiculous bow "Master has told much of Harry Potter and his friends! How they beat he-who-must-not-be named and a vampire the last year!"

"We're glad to meet you to Dobby" Harry said, completely confused, and stretched his hand, which the elf gladly took jumping up and down.

"Harry Potter is saluting Dobby! Harry Potter sir is as honorable as master said!" the elf squealed.

"Not so loud Dobby!" Ron said as he went to the door to shut it "I hope nobody heard that"

"Very well" said Robert rolling his eyes "I'm Robert Dumbledore, Dobby"

Mimicking Harry, Robert greeted the overexcited elf who was delighted to meet, as he had said –"_The grandson of the bestest headmaster ever!"_

"Now, Dobby" began Hermione "You need to repeat what you told us in Ginny's Room, before you took the book"

Harry's and Rob's reaction was immediate, as they both opened their eyes wide at Hermione, but she merely shook her head as if saying 'do not do anything to him… yet'.

"Remember what you promised, Dobby" said Ron gravely "You would give us the book when we heard what you had to say"

"Oh Dobby almost forgot!" the elf said "Master told Dobby to come here to rely some news, so Dobby obeys and comes right away!"

"That's good Dobby" said Harry "And as a good elf it would be nice if you told us what your Master said, please"

Dobby couldn't take it anymore and hugged Harry as he wept inconsolably.

"Harry Potter is too good" the elf wept "saying please to Dobby, asking him so nicely!"

"Its okay, Dobby" Harry said trying to get rid of the emotional creature "It was really nothing"

"Harry Potter says it's nothing" Dobby said finally "So Honorable and humble! Like young master!"

"Dobby" said Robert demandingly. The elf immediately froze as if his so called master had appeared. "Could you please tell us the news?"

"Robert Dumbledore sir is powerful for being so young" the elf announced "My master wanted you to know some things that are happening since you went away. Master knows where you were all this time…"

"And for Merlin's beard who is your master Dobby?" asked Ron a bit harshly, but the house elf ignored him.

"…But before, Dobby thinks that Harry Potter sir should know that there are bad men surrounding the Weezie's house as we speak, sir"

* * *

A lone Auror walked around the wards, muttering to himself. Andrew Gibson was tired of being in guard post duty, taking care of the obnoxious children, who were always playing jokes on him. He could see McArthur and Strauss a hundred yards ahead of him, looking as tired as he did. Their shift was almost coming to an end, and he could almost see the laughing faces of their superiors after having sent the _rookies_ to guard duty.

A gentle breeze blew swaying his cloak gently and the young man sighed, at least it was a nice relaxing afternoon. He then walked another few steps, oblivious to what was happening around him.

Behind him, near the pond, the breeze had formed a whirlwind, barely visible and then a faint light flared for a split second and banished.

The only thing that Andrew did notice was when the breeze stopped, and a chill went through his spine. Apparently he wasn't the only one who noticed MacArthur was already walking towards him, and two other recruits were running to his position.

A dark cloud was coming rapidly towards them.

"This can't be good" he said, while pressing a clip inside his robes. At least the headquarters would be arriving any moment, or so he hoped.

* * *

"The second year spells are way too weak" said Ron angrily "Look at these for Merlin sakes, expelling charm? Tickling charm? This is kids play!"

"We know Ron" exclaimed Hermione "That's the reason we needed to go to the bookstore! There is no way we're going to beat some ancient dark wizards by tickling them that's for sure."

The four of them were frantically searching for something that could help them against the 'bad men' as Dobby had called them.

"So what can we do now?" asked Ron throwing a rock to the pond angrily "They are supposed to be watching us and the bloody good for nothing Aurors aren't even able to discover us…. YES, I know Hermione, Language… If only Dobby hadn't disappeared _with_ the bloody book."

Harry however had been quietly observing Robert as he meditated. He had been like that since they had arrived, after covering their arrival for Hemione to finish their spell. He seemed to be deep in concentration, but yet submerged in a deep calm. He decided then to try something he had not done since the day they arrived.

'_Legilimens'_ Harry thought in an attempt to read what was in Robert's mind.

He couldn't be more stunned when he was completely blocked by a whirlwind of thoughts, filled with strange symbols unknown to him.

"Testing my shield, Harry?" Rob said with his eyes closed.

"You certainly have put it in practice, mate" he replied.

"But you have an ace under your sleeve, don't you Harry?" commented Hermione absent mindedly, concentrating on the rock she was levitating.

"You can bet on it" Harry answered smirking and returned to see what Robert was doing "What is it you are doing."

"Trying to find out where they are"

"Exactly how?" asked Harry

"When I was… away… I discovered something" he said, still not moving "Whenever I used elemental magic I could, how could I put it in words? There was this _feeling_, like I say, difficult to explain. I could _touch_ everything on the path of the wind"

Hermione looked at him astonished and Ron frowned.

"It doesn't work the same with water, and other elements are too destructive to even get a gist of the feeling. But the wind is unpredictable."

"Lightning is unpredictable too" interjected Harry "It never hits on the same place"

"I didn't mean it like that" replied Rob "It's just… wind can be as peaceful as a breeze or as chaotic as a tornado, and I can, somehow feel everything in its path. It's _wicked_"

"I think I get it" interrupted Ron "But this is really NOT the time to be discussing this… keep doing whatever you were doing, that dark cloud is coming pretty fast."

"The Aurors already noticed it" Harry said. Concentrating on the closest one, his eyes became cloudy as he began searching inside the Auror's mind. He didn't know why, and not even Cyrus could explain it, but he had a talent to read the thoughts without any strain, which unnerved his tutor to no end.

"I can't believe it" he finally said "These are just recruits. Luckily one was smart enough to call for reinforcements. Hermione, he did _think_ something about a _Protean _Charm. Maybe you could research it?"

"Not now" she answered, having gone back to the defense book… which were proving incredibly useless.

"I think I have way to distract them" said Ron, looking apprehensively at the dark cloud "Yeah I think this could work"

"Oh, do tell Ron" said Hermione, rolling her eyes.

"What?" he replied a bit annoyed "You don't think I could have a something to say? Do you think I'm dumb or something?"

Both Ron and Hermione stood up glaring at each other.

"That is not…"

"Oh please don't start you two" said Harry shaking his head. "There's not enough time"

"What are you talking about?" both said at the same time.

"Just tell us your thoughts Ron" interrupted Robert.

"Might as well show you"

Taking out his wand, Ron aimed at the center of the pond and making a slight flick and a jab he said an incantation.

"_Exuo Reducto"_ he bellowed.

But instead of a blast coming out of the wand, a bright light sphere started glowing on the tip of his wand. The rest of the Gryffindors opened their eyes wide in shock. The sphere on Ron's wand started growing and when it reached half a foot Ron stood sideways and held his free arm sideways and rested the wand on it.

"_Eximo!"_ he yelled.

The sphere was expelled towards the pond and easily crossed the water. When it hit the ground the entire pond's water was propelled upwards leaving a crater behind. The water fell down like rain everywhere and the teenagers had ended up completely soaked. The spell ward managed to keep the Aurors oblivious to the fact that a thirteen year old kid had just blown out the entire pond.

Harry, Robert and Hermione looked at Ron completely astounded. Ron was breathing hard and leaned forward against his knees.

"Good exercise fellows" he said panting "You should try it sometimes. Mom is going to kill me though."

"Bloody Brilliant" muttered Harry "Ron I think that is exactly what we need. Perhaps it could be used in several ways."

"Cat got your tongue Hermione?" Ron said smirking, which earned him a glare from the brunette.

"Not funny" she said crossing her arms "But it was magnificent spellwork."

Harry shuddered of how much she reminded him of McGonagall. Placing himself in the same stance as Ron had done, he concentrated and spoke the same incantation. He immediately felt a strange sensation. To be put in words, it was as if a massive river was flowing through his veins. It was strong and relentless, but yet calm and cool. He had felt this before, but it had not been as powerful, and draining. The feeling crept from his entire body, his heart started beating faster and on his wand an immense sphere of energy formed. Without noticing he had done it, his eyes changed and a sign appeared on them, black, as if his pupils had been stretched and reorganized

What he saw was amazing.

He could practically feel the magic rumbling, whirling furiously within the sphere as massive currents revolved. Everything else was out of focus. He was unaware of the shouting of his friends around him. The feeling built up, but it was too enticing to let it stop.

A hand touched his shoulder, making him focus once again and aimed the sphere to the air.

"_Eximo!"_

At an unbelievable speed, the sphere broke through the obscuring field and flew to the skies, higher and higher until it was out of sight.

Harry fell back, but was caught up by the one who had made him release the spell.

"Wonder what would have happened if you had sent it to the lake, mate" said Robert helping him regain his feet. "How do you feel?"

"As if I had just lifted a thousand tons" he said taking deep breaths.

"You shouldn't do that again" said Hermione sternly "At least until you have rested and only if we do find it was useful for you to strengthen your magic. In the meantime, we have a problem with the pond, Ron."

The three boys looked at the now dry crater that had been full of water.

"Perhaps it could be used for charms too?" Hermione wondered out loud and with a flick of her wand she pointed at the pond.

"_Exuo Aguamenti"_

The very second in which she finished the incantation, a massive torrent of water burst out of her wand, which she barely held without falling to the ground. The tremendous flow of water quickly filled the pond and soon, it was Hermione's turn to lean to the ground gasping for breath.

"We need to practice this" she managed to blurt out between gasps.

"We'll surprise them" said Ron "When they start attacking the Aurors. It's our only chance to catch them off guard."

A thunder rumbled on the distance as the dark cloud covered the sky.

* * *

"What in Merlin's name is happening?" asked Andrew Gibson.

"Have you called for backup?" interjected one of the other recruits whose name he didn't know or cared for at the moment.

"I've have a bad feeling about this…" muttered MacArthur.

"You and you bloody sixth sense Douglas" muttered Strauss "Isn't it creepy enough without your mystical blabbering?"

"It is not…"

"Shut up both of you!" demanded Gibson "Did you hear that? It came from the pond"

Another rumbling sound came from behind the startled Aurors, but the pond was intact.

"I knew this wasn't going to be a good day" said MacArthur.

"Stop it!" said the other recruit "Something is happening, Look!"

From the center of a cloud a whirlwind started sucking the dark shroud upwards, leaving an empty dark space. From inside a trail of purple some came out rapidly towards the ground, swishing eerily as it crept down. The five Aurors took out their wands and aimed at the shadowy steam.

When it finally hit the ground, the smoke was gone leaving someone behind. It was a man with long dark hair. His face was ghost pale, white as snow on the frozen winter. He had a sharp jawbone and his eyes had an unnaturally clear color. He stood arrogantly wearing an elegant black cloak that billowed even in the lack of wind that suddenly hit the grounds.

"Ah the hard working _Aurors_ from the Ministry" the man said with a perturbing smile as he gazed upon the five recruits.

Gibson already knew _what_ the man was, but he had never actually fought one of his kind. He could still remember how their first mentor, mad-eye moody, had talked about them. They were natural killers, with powers beyond normal wizards. On his side, MacArthur was trembling, probably knowing what they were up against.

"You sure like your flashy entrance" hissed a voice from nowhere, with a deep German accent. The sound echoed around the Aurors, who could only look desperately from side to side, unable to see anything.

Then, next to the pale man the rock started moving, and a form started growing from the ground. It rose until it reached the height of the man. The rock and dirt started falling and another man stood. His black hair was long and untidy, his nose pointy and he was wearing an evil smile. What was more frightening about the man was the wicked, savage look on his eyes, which were scanning the young Aurors hungrily.

"Who dares to intrude in a Ministry guarded home?" MacArthur demanded valiantly.

The second man chuckled almost choking. He hit his chest and started coughing, as if he couldn't believe what the Auror had just said.

"These get funnier every time" he snarled in between.

"Control yourself, Rawclan" spoke in an aristocratic tone the first man.

"But…"

"But nothing" interrupted the first man again. "Forgive his manners… he is an… irrepressible man. But for your last question, are you sure you want it answered?"

MacArthur hesitated at first when the man called Rawclan actually grunted like an angry dog, but quickly composed himself.

"Identify yourselves! You are intruding Ministry guarded location!" he demanded looking bolder than he felt.

The pale faced man stared at him and smiled.

"Petty excuses of wizards like you mean nothing to us, who have embraced magic as it should be" the pale man spoke "But we are not here to discuss such frivolities with the likes of you. We are here to send a message"

"A message to who?" asked Gibson, his wand shaking as he aimed to the two strange men.

"To the Ministry… and to the Vizarding vorld" snarled the man called Rawclan "Tell them that the _Reißzähne des Todes _have returned."

"And what do you mean by that?" asked Strauss watching them apprehensively.

"What did he say?" asked Gibson nervously

"It translates as 'Deathfangs', but I don't really know what's he talking about" answered Strauss.

"Interesting" interrupted the pale faced man "If these can't even remember your lot Rawclan, they will surely not remember the _Moaerta Ingeri_"

"Perhaps this is the perfect time for reminding them of who ve vere so many years ago… of who ve still are, shouldn't ve Scarlatti?"

"Yes, it is time the world trembles once again" Scarlatti said "But first, we didn't come here to exchange trivial arguments with mere underlings. We have information that they are hiding something valuable here… something that our superiors asked for. We want it, now."

"We will not give anything to you two, whoever your bloody think you are" yelled MacArthur, raising his wand against them

"Are you sure you want to do this the hard way?" asked Scarlatti, fixing his hair arrogantly.

"Let them" snarled Rawclan "They will make great meals. It has been a long time…"

"Better not to make a mess" said Scarlatti as a sword appeared, hanging from his belt. The steel shrilled against the sheath as he slowly pulled it. It was a long thin sword with an elegant hilt bathed in gold, a most excellent example of an Italian rapier.

"Says the one vith the sword" said Rawclan with an evil smile. From his ragged coat he took out a crooked wand, ugly as his owner.

Unknown to them, the house had been put under a spell, obscuring the windows, rendering the inhabitants unable to see or hear anything coming from the outside.

"For the last time, give up your weapons" demanded MacArthur.

"Strauss, MacArthur, Simmons, Hobb" muttered Gibson "Formation, Now!"

In a blink of an eye the five Aurors had located themselves in a standard Auror Defense Formation, standing in a pentagon in an attempt to cover every side. But just as they had all reached their stance, the man called Scarlatti had vanished in a trail of smoke and Rawclan aimed his wand at MacArthur.

"_Daumab!"_ the man bellowed making a downwards slash with his wand.

A red, man sized ring shot out and flew directly at the unsuspecting Auror, but just as it closed in MacArthur did a round movement with his wand.

"_Contego"_

A blue sphere covered him just before the red ring encased him and attempted to wrap around him, but the shield contained him.

"What magic is this?" MacArthur bellowed as he struggled to maintain the shield "Help me!"

But Gibson knew better than to let his guard down. Not with a vampire about to attack them. He took a deep breath and tried to ignore the desperate shouting of his comrade. The vampire would appear in any second.

"_Finite incantatem" _said Hobson as he tried to dispel the energy ring that was crushing MacArthur's shield.

It was in that split second that a trail of black smoke shot down from the air and the vampire remerged and did a quick spin that would have ended the Auror's life but due to his quick reflexes he was able to just end with a deep gash on his right arm.

"_Lumos Solem!" _shouted Gibson, a stunning light emerging from his wand, but far too late as the vampire had already disappeared.

In that very moment, Strauss was tackled and suddenly the man named Rawclan savagely threw him in the air several feet and his body felt with a loud thump. The Auror did not get up.

A red bolt flew towards the man, but it merely shook him up. Simmons was looking him with wide eyes full of fear as the man looked unfazed by his attack. With a quick movement Rawclan snapped both of his hands together in a fist, his wand stuck in the middle.

The ground trembled and a patch of earth seemed to rise and advanced rapidly towards the frozen Auror. Gibson watched terrified, since he couldn't do anything with the threat of the vampire still too close. Simmons made no attempt to move. The ruble of dirt caught him and a loud scream echoed throughout the field. The three remaining Aurors were horrified when their partner was captured in solid ground up to his waist. From his point of view, Gibson reckoned that half of the young man's body had been crushed.

Hobb ran towards his fellow Auror but before he could get there the vampire materialized again and in a swift flash of steel, Simmons head fell to the floor. Meanwhile MacArthur had freed himself from the spell ring and was viciously dueling Rawclan.

Scarletti once again disappeared before a yellow curse from Hobb could reach him only to reappear next to Rawlcan, joining him against the MacArthur and Gibson.

"Enough games" said Scarletti holding his sword upwards.

"_Grosh Tanfuksham"_

His sword glowed in a sick red light and Gibson opened his eyes wide and started quickly to cast a shield. The vampire slashed the rapier downwards with a single hand his long hair blowing backwards from the force of the spell. The red light sped toward the three Aurors leaving a trail on the ground destroyed on its path.

"_Protego Artius"_

The shield started forming in front of Gibson, barely covering the three Aurors. For a fraction of a second it hummed deeply but the roaring red light struck and the resulting pulse blasted the three Aurors away and pushed the two attackers back a few feet without actually making them fall down.

A huge cloud of dust raised and Scarletti smirked as the three forms of the Aurors lay down on the ground unmoving. With a sick laugh Rawclan started walking toward the fallen wizards. He opened his mouth showing his teeth, which looked animal-like.

"Food" he said licking his lips hungrily "let's roast one of them"

"Not mine" Scarletti replied with a wicked smirk and a savage look on his eyes.

The dust finally started clearing as the two dark creatures covered the distance between them and the crumpled forms of the Aurors. Both of them raised their wands slowly against the defenseless recruits.

Or so they thought.

"_Eximo!" _

An incredible force shot out of nowhere towards the two men. The distance had been so short that they were unable to react in time. The resulting pulse send both of them flying twenty feed away dragging them through the ground.

Four small figures materialized as their disillusionment spell fell.

"The Auror backup should arrive anytime now" announced one of them. The man spoke with an unnatural voice obviously distorted by magic.

Scarletti and Rawclan started getting up, their clothes covered in dirt and dust. Scarletti eyed the four cloaked figures in front of him and brandished his sword. One of the cloaked figures was watching intently at his now torn sleeve that showed a black tattoo, an image of a man with wings with a black serpent wrapped around his body. Scarletti noticed the wizards glance and quickly covered his arm.

"How dare you interfere" he demanded.

"Monsters of your kind are not welcome here" bellowed a second man "You will pay for what you have done."

"It is not me who will pay" said Scarletti "By the time I'm finished with you, I'll have you at my feet, wishing you had never crossed the Death Angels"

"Your flesh shall be served as my feast" added Rawclan now standing as well, wand aimed at four cloaked wizards.

"_Corpus Deleox" _he bellowed. A gruesome dark green spell flew towards one of them, but the four wizards stood calm and with a flick of his wand one casted a shield.

"_Tinechor" _

A blue disc stood between the spell and its intended victim, and the curse was merely dispersed, leaving the wizard unaffected. Several cracks were then heard and a faint trace of magic started covering the air around them, as the apparition wards fell. Scarletti glanced everywhere and noticed the blue robes of the Aurors appearing out of thin air.

"This is not the end" said Scarletti, but he was stunned when he noticed the four cloaked figures had already disappeared, taking the three injured recruits with them.

"Time to go" said Rawclan as he once again blended with the ground and Scarletti vanished into a black wisp of smoke.

Auror Shacklebolt ran frantically towards the two figures but they were quickly gone before he could even think of sending a spell against them. Aurors Tonks and the newly reinstated Mad Eye Moody quickly arrived behind him looking at the surroundings for any signs of the recruits. But the sight in front of them was far from what they expected.

Shacklebolt quickly recognized Gibson who was starting to move on the ground. Besides him, MacArthur and Hobb remained still. But even his superior was shocked when they saw what was left of Simmons, and Moody, having fought in the last war was a difficult man to get such a reaction from.

"Oh Merlin" he heard the voice of the young Auror on his side.

Tonks turned around and started wailing covering her mouth, streaks of tears falling to the ground. Simmons had of course been a close friend since they graduated. But now, on a small mound of dirt lay half of his body, and his head had been severed, blood falling around his body.

Further away, Strauss had already regained consciousness and Dawlish was already helping him up, one of his legs broken from the fall.

"Please no…" said Strauss "Is that…"

"It is Simmons" snarled Moody, earning another sob from Tonks who was being supported by another Auror. "Strauss care to tell me what the hell happened here?"

In the altercation, nobody noticed the four children sneaking back into the house after taken the wards down.

* * *

Gasping for breath they ran into Ron's room, closing the door behind. Hermione was crying, covering her mouth. It had been the first time she had actually seen someone die, and she wasn't taking it very good. Neither of them was delighted, of course, but the three boys had witnessed the attack on St. Catchpole a year ago and they had a better idea of what horrible things a dark wizard could do.

Ron went to comfort Hermione, who had now leaned against the wall only to sit down on the floor sobbing uncontrollably.

"Shh Hermione" he told her as he rubbed her back "You don't have to do this if you don't want to…"

"I do want to help" she said between sobs "But…why? Why would they do something like that? What do they want?"

"Wouldn't we all like to know?" asked Harry as he sat on the bed's edge. "Perhaps we shouldn't be doing this… perhaps we are not ready"

"It is not a matter of being ready or not" replied Rob glancing out the window, watching as the Aurors cleaned up the mess "It is a matter of choice… do we want to do this? No one is forcing us; no one can determine our destiny, but our choices"

He turned around and walked towards Hermione and kneeled down in front of her. His blue eyes watched intently and caught hazel looking directly back at him.

"If we hadn't chosen to act at that moment, another four men would have lost their lives. We couldn't save one of them, but at least the other will return to their families. And what is most important, we couldn't have done it without your help. You knew the spells that hid us from them until the moment was correct."

"I read it in the Standard book of…"

"There's our Hermione" said Harry "ever the book lover. We wouldn't change you for anything in the world."

Hermione giggled and cleaned the remaining tears that were falling down her cheeks. Ron offered his hand and helped her up and the four of them stood looking at each other.

"Now what?" asked Ron.

"Call Dobby" replied Rob.

"Dobby!" yelled Harry.

A crack sounded in the room and then the elf materialized in front of them.

"Dobby is happy that Harry Potter and his friends are all right" he said bowing down "Harry Potter is brave and powerful wizard."

"That's all right Dobby" he told the house elf "It was nothing. Now I think you have something that belongs to us."

"Yes Harry Potter" Dobby squeaked jumping up and down "The white book, it has called for you! Here it is! Master said to give it back when you heard his message"

With a snap of his fingers, a blue light appeared in front of the short creature. An object started to grow and Dobby extended his hands towards Harry, and the book finally appeared.

"Powerful magic it has, Harry Potter" Dobby said "You mustn't go losing this book. It is very much important, i think"

"Right you are" said Ron looking intently at the book. "Hey I can read it now!"

"Finally" Rob said rolling his eyes "Not that you will actually read it, eh mate?"

"Hey!" he yelled punching him on his shoulder.

"Can I see it?" asked Hermione

Harry merely offered the book and she furiously started sweeping through the pages. She finally nodded when she was sure that it was the real book and she went and sat down on the bed.

"Now I think it is time for you to tell us the news, Dobby" Harry said.

"Of course, Harry potter sir" Dobby shrieked, but almost immediately he went very silent "Master wanted to warn Harry Potter and his friends. Something dark is happening in Hogwarts. There are very bad people and they are wanting to free something, something that has being kept in Hogwarts school for many, many years. Young Master said that the Valari are involved and that you need to be very careful when you arrive at the school. He asked Harry Potter and his friends to meet master after the feast in the cave of the guardians."

"Draco" Harry muttered "You work for the Malfoys."

"Young master did say Harry Potter would know" Dobby squealed merrily "Now Dobby must go back or Master Lucius won't be happy"

"One last thing Dobby" interrupted Rob "Don't tell Lucius, whoever that is, what happened here."

"Young master Draco has forbidden Dobby from telling bad master anything" Dobby said with a smirk "And frankly Dobby likes Harry Potter and his friends, so he will never tell anything no matter what"

And, saying that, Dobby snapped his fingers and disappeared.


	7. Keeper of the Book

**Chapter 7: The Keeper of the Book**

Long years had passed since the building of the old castle, and countless battles it had seen before and after it became a school. Many Wizards and Witches had walked through the stone halls, learning the mysterious ways of magic and witchcraft. Powerful sorcerers had the castle seen come and go.

It was then, in a calm, summer night, that one of the one of the most brilliant wizards paced restlessly outside the entrance of the mighty fortress. Something was obviously disturbing him.

His long white beard and half-moon spectacles gave him the constant look of wisdom, but not that night. That night they showed uneasiness, uncommon for the old headmaster. As he held his hands behind him, he looked into the sky, the moon reflected on his blue eyes, tired and weary from the years he carried in his back.

Taking a deep breath, he extended his hand holding a golden medal and put a single finger over the bright artifact. The medal then glowed in a bright red light for a second and the wizard put it back in his pocket.

Several _cracks_ were heard then, as the usual sign of a wizard apparating. Dumbledore had allowed them this one time through the wards.

Two men appeared first, one in an orange oriental robe and the other in a pale gray wizard robe. Behind each one of them, more wizards and witches started appearing out of thin air. Three groups were then standing, facing each other.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, my friends" stated Dumbledore, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles "Though it is not in the best of times, I'm afraid"

"It is always a pleasure to visit old friends, Albus" said the first man in an oriental accent. "Long time has it been"

"Very long indeed, brother" the second man said. He had the headmaster's very same blue eyes, and while his white beard was nowhere near the length from his sibling's, one would not be able to set one aside from each other. Tall and thin he was, and his face was wrinkled from the long years he carried.

"Thank you for coming on so short notice, Aberforth, Shen" Dumbledore said "I do know everyone has their own schedules, so I will not take much time from you. First of all, I need your help in an urgent manner, Shen."

"How can I be of assistance?" the man replied with a short bow.

"Someone has infiltrated Hogwarts" Albus stated sharply, and a collective gasp was heard "I had thought that to be impossible, but it seems the wards have a weakness, a weakness we need to rectify."

"Ah I see" the man called Shen said rubbing his chin while deep in thought "I'm afraid I won't be able to do it on my own. Lynette, Cyrus, Kari, Howard, I will need your assistance."

"Lynette?" a voice exclaimed behind the headmaster. A sandy brown haired man walked. His face was weary and tired, as if he hadn't slept for several days.

"Yes Remus" said the brunette, taking a step forward, followed by another young woman and two menacing looking men.

"But where have you been?" Remus Lupin asked incredulously "It has been 13 years Lyn, What?"

"Enough Lupin!" she exclaimed "You really have guts to come and talk to me with all that happened"

"Children" the headmaster interrupted "This is neither the time nor the place to discuss past quarrels between us. Remus I'm going to ask you to step back, we need to get this done"

Remus glanced towards the fierce glare that the woman was giving him, his face full of regret and sadness. The moon lit part of his body, half lit and half dark. Her words had affected him more than he thought they would. Dropping his head he took a step back and sighed.

"I am sorry, Lyn" Remus said "For everything. There is no day or night that I don't blame myself from not seeing what was happening."

"Save your…"'

"Lynette" Shen said, interrupting her again.

"Yes, Master" she said bowing.

Shaking his head, the old monk gestured Lyn and the other three wizards to position themselves in a circle, just in the center of the outer hall, where various signs were written on the stones on the ground.

"There is only a single problem" Shen announced, many gazes upon him "There is one element missing. We cannot complete the spell without it, or it will be useless against the ones which threaten the castle."

"Aberforth" Albus announced "I trust you can help us with this"

"Certainly, dear brother" he said nodding towards a hooded man behind him "Tarik, please come forth."

The man called Tarik walked forward and stood next to Aberforth, slowly lowering his hood. The man was a dark skinned man that stood proud, tall and calm. His eyes were of an unnatural clear color, and his facial features were thin and gloomy. From one of his ears a single pendant hung, made out of a fang. The rest of his body was still kept covered from the other wizards.

Suddenly two dozens of wands were raised towards the man, who made no attempt to defend himself. He did not even flinch, but merely raised his gaze towards the sky and muttered something.

The closest wizard to the man had been Moody, his magic eye spinning furiously searching for any threat. Then it focused in Dumbledore, then his brother, and then on the newly revealed man.

"Who is this" another man bellow "He feels like dark magic"

"I'm a spy" Tarik announced in a deep, threatening voice, but no one lowered their wands.

"Can we trust him Dumbledore?" Moody asked the headmaster's brother "You know what I think about… spies".

"There is nothing to worry about" Aberforth answered "Tarik's loyalty has been proven to me quite a few times."

"I still don't understand why, or how, is he going to help us" asked Lynette, glaring at the mysterious man.

"What we are trying to do" Shen said "Is to create protections against alternative means of traveling. That is why I need his help as much as his… Because our enemies have found a way to use elemental traveling to reach the school, and they must be stopped from doing so."

"And what element does he use" asked Cyrus, crossing his arms "I think between us five we cover all the main elements"

"Do you possess the Shadow element" Tarik asked in a deep voice, effectively silencing Cyrus "I did not think so."

"Very well, that is enough chatter" Dumbledore commanded. As usual his voice was full of power, and only his brother and the old oriental man were not overwhelmed by its strength "There is not a single thing more important than the safety of the school and its students. It will only hinder us too keep this petty arguing between us."

"I agree" Shen announced "Let us begin then"

* * *

The red train sped through the green fields that adorned the English country. A pair of blue eyes scanned through them absent mindedly, deep in thought. There was light chatter in the small room where the 'Hogwarts four' had chosen to spend the entire way. There had only been a small incident since they had boarded, when Tanya Varenkov had bumped into Ginny and the argument had almost ended badly, until Viktor Valari had stepped in between and dragged the scary girl to their carriage.

Inside their carriage, Ron was playing with some of the weirdest stuff, even for a wizard. Hermione had pointed out that he had started to sound like his father, at which he only answered that he was proud that he could be similar to him. That silenced Hermione on the spot, as she only nodded respectfully and smiled.

Harry glanced at Robert and shook his head as he sat looking out the window with a serious look on his face.

'_Some things never change; I guess'_ he thought.

However at that very moment, Rob opened the window and two shapes flew in an amazing speed inside the carriage.

"Hedwig!" Harry called his snowy owl, as the beautiful creature landed on his shoulder and hooted happily "Darn I have missed you girl, it is nice to see you again. Here I have something for you."

From his bag, he took out some treats that he had gotten for her before the term started. In front of him Rob was greeting Halion, as the majestic hawk chirped happily.

"Long time, old friend" he said smiling, and the bird seemed to answer, opening its wings wide and squeaking proudly.

Harry noticed that Hedwig was carrying a package, and quickly opened revealing a silvery piece of cloth.

"Blimey, Hedwig" Harry said "It's the invisibility cloak; I thought I had lost it. Thank you girl, I'll let you have another treat."

"How do you think she found it?" asked Hermione, placing down the book she was reading.

"I guess she IS a smart girl" Ron interjected "Aren't you girl?"

Hedwig chirped proudly and nibbed at his ear.

"Why don't you two guys meet us at the castle?" Rob said "You must be eager to be on the sky again Halion"

With that, Rob opened the window again and the two pets flew away into the distance.

Ron went back to his odd items. They were a small muggle speaker, a weird spinning object that was broken down to pieces, an old radio and some batteries. With a quick flick of his wand the speaker was disassembled and its parts were spread on the seat. Then, he passed his hand over the magnet and closed his eyes. A single spark flew towards the speaker, making a short beep.

"Are you trying to make that work with magic?" asked Hermione quite surprised.

"That's the plan anyways" Ron said absent mindedly "But I can't quite get this lightning spell right"

"How are you trying to do it?" Harry asked, suddenly interested in his friend's new project.

"I am not sure" Ron answered "The eklectricity goes through, what you call them? Cables? And it makes sound come out through the spleaker. I just can't get it right"

"Perhaps if you knew how electricity works" Hermione said, going into lecture mode "Electricity is a flow of electrons through a conductive mean, like metal, such as copper"

"So…"

"You have to keep the lightning constant to get the speaker working" She continued "What are you trying to build anyways?"

"It is a secret…"

Ron then extended his hand open over the speaker and concentrated. Harry had explained before how to call upon the lightning element, and luckily it was one of the couple of elements the redhead could make use of. A spark of light flashed between his hand and the speaker, quickly to be gone. But it was followed by one another, then two more, and the speed increased rapidly until the speaker was making an annoying beep.

"I think you got it now mate" Harry said smiling at his friend "When are you going to tell us what it is?"

"Patinece is a virtue, my good friend" said Ron putting his things away.

"You actually sounded smart for a moment there" Robert joked, earning a punch in the shoulder from Ron.

The next few hours were spent in silence, while the four Gryffindors practiced their occlumency. They took turns, one by one, to be tested by Harry. Somehow, Legilimency was starting to come easier to him. When Hermione questioned what was he doing, he just shrugged and answered he practiced the same way they did.

Harry had noticed several more things. When the train made a slight bump, Ron dropped a small gobstone he was playing while he practiced, and before Harry could reach for it, Rob had already snatched it from the air. The rest of them, knowing Harry's Quidditch reflexes, were perplexed when Rob beat the youngest seeker in the century. As Harry had done before, Rob just shrugged and kept looking out the window. Hermione, on the other part, had gained a knack for transfiguring all kinds of things, from pencils and notebooks, to elaborate pieces of chess. Harry had held a black Knight, with its head so meticulously conceived that it looked almost real-like as its mane flowed with the wind.

Another thing he noticed from Hermione, and the bad way for that matter, was that she was gotten a bit too strong for his liking. Ron had told a joke and Harry had unconsciously cursed, granting him of course, a well-deserved punch in the shoulder from Hermione. At first it had seemed friendly, but after the surprise passed, it actually started to hurt as if another male had hit him. He made a mental note after that not to piss her off.

"Someone's coming" Rob announced suddenly "Stop what you're doing"

Rob always made him nervous when he did something like that. However, he trusted him more than anyone; around him Harry was comfortable, even more than with Hermione, who could sometimes be a bit bossy, or Ron who was completely the opposite from her. They shared a similar history, both without parents, both in a strange world, both marked by tragedy early in life. That didn't made Ron, Hermione or even Draco less of a friend than Rob, but with the headmaster's grandson, he could relate at least a little bit.

As Rob had warned them, the carriage door was open and a pair of red heads appeared at the frame.

"Hello, oh famous ones" said Fred bowing mockingly. At least the twins had forgotten about the incident a little bit, unlike Ginny and Luna.

"It is such _an honor_ to be in your humble and _innocent_ presence" George said.

Maybe he had called victory way too soon.

"Hey, George, Fred" said Ron bit too nervously.

"Or is it Forge and Gred?" Harry asked with a smirk on his face.

"You never know" was Fred response, matching Harry's gesture.

"Unfortunately, we come forth today in serious business oh dear brother and friends" stated George "It our terrible pleasure to ask once again for the millionth"

"Gazzillionth"

"Yes, thank you brother…" George said to his twin "Gazzillionth time, for the whereabouts of the oh so precious and mysterious book you 'didn't' stole from our beloved sister"

"Is Gazzillionth even a word?" wondered Rob out loud.

"And for the Bazzillionth, oh wait…" said Ron "Oh,,, whatever, we already told you we DON'T have it. What is so important about that book anyways?"

"We rather don't ask" Fred said a bit somberly, scratching the back of his head "Ginny seems even more annoyed today than the last week. Even Luna is a bit put out from her attitude"

"Perhaps you should check on her?" Harry asked tentatively.

But when George was about to answer, another voice rose behind the twins.

"Why don't you bunch of blood traitors move from the hallway" the voice said arrogantly. Both twins moved, allowing Harry to see who had spoken. He was tempted then to smile but quickly hid it, since the speaker was accompanied by two immense attempts of wizard that could have easily passed as trolls.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up, Malfoy" Harry said, and as he did so, the twins glanced away from Draco who winked and smiled for a fraction of a second before changing to an annoyed sneer.

"You should watch who you talking to Potter" Draco said "There is no telling what could happen while you are in the castle. Or perhaps you can grab one of the new treats, if you are lucky enough"

"As if…" Harry said "Go get lost in the Forbidden Forest, Malfoy. You will do the world a favor if you get eaten by a werewolf or something like that."

"I don't think I am their type" Malfoy answered. He was about to add something else but he caught sight of the evil smiles from the twins and decided it was better if he turned around and kept walking.

"Git" both Fred and George said "I wonder where he went last year"

"He did miss the entire year" George said.

"Anyways, the castle is approaching lads" Fred announced "It is time to get in the school robes. Behave will you?"

And with that, both twins left the carriage, closing the door behind them.

"What do you think he meant by treat?" Hermione asked at that very second "It sounded like a warning"

"It was" Harry said "We'll just need to be very careful with what we drink or eat. Hermione do you think there's some way to check for poisons?"

"I'm not sure" the brunette said "Perhaps we can check later, now we have to get ready, I can see the castle now."

* * *

Half hour later, the four Gryffindors got down the red train, and marveled once again at the sight of the magnificent castle that was Hogwarts. Side by side they glanced upwards, as the moon stood directly behind the tallest tower. The fortress stood imposing, and yet welcoming of the young wizards and witches. They could hear Hagrid calling for the new years and Harry took his chance and waved his hand. Hagrid noticed him after a few seconds and smiled brightly.

"Hullo, Harry!" Hagrid bellowed "I'm happe teh see yeh back! I'll meet yeh inside!"

This greeting, however, did not have the result they were expecting. From the moment Hagrid mentioned his name, everyone turned towards the one that Hagrid was talking too. As soon as they recognized the boy-who-lived, furious whispers started. The sound was as a beehive that a little boy just poked with a stick. Harry immediately started to feel nervous and began to panic, but then a hand rested on his shoulder. His gaze met the piercing blue eyes of Robert, and he relaxed a little.

"Let's get away from the crowd, mate" said Ron pushing them slightly towards the carriages. They got then another surprise.

According to tales from the older classmates, they were supposed to be pulled by horseless chariots. But instead, in front of them, a pair of the strangest creatures stood waiting peacefully.

"What are those?" asked Harry "I thought the carriages were enchanted?"

"They are" said a voice behind them "Now, can you please move out of the way?"

Harry quickly turned around and he was met with a fierce glare from a pair of chocolate-hazel eyes. Ginny, it seemed, was still a bit angry at them, but she had no proof that they had taken the book, which only made her even more upset.

"Ginny" Harry said, taking a step sideways and extending his arm towards one of the carriages while bowing, as if the youngest Weasley was a princess.

"Save your ass kissing for another fan girl" she said with venom.

"I don't see what's so special about him" another girl said as she passed by. Later they would know her name was Persephone Bones.

Behind her, Luna watched with curiosity, yet apprehensively.

"Ginny I don't know what is happening with you today, but you need to get rid of the attitude" the blonde told her. She then glanced at the Harry and then to Rob. When their eyes met, she instantly frowned and turned around quickly.

"Let's get going" Luna said

"What did I do now?" Rob said in defeat.

"Girls…." Harry and Ron said.

"Oh shut up" Hermione interjected "Anyways, I'm going to investigate what are these and why no one else can see them. They look reptilian, but they have four legs and stand like a horse."

"Horses with wings" Ron said pointing at one of them on another carriage. "They look, dangerous"

"Dumbledore wouldn't put the students in danger" Hermione said.

"Let's get going then."

During the way, the bizarre creatures trotted gracefully; oblivious to the students they were pulling. One of them even managed to touch Luna when their carriage stopped to let them down. The blonde girl didn't even seem to notice.

As the carriages finished taking the students to the entrance hall, Rob pulled Harry and the others aside.

"We should go to the forest after the feast" he whispered "No one will notice a couple second years not in their rooms the first day"

Hermione looked towards the castle's doors nervously and watched as the students quickly disappeared behind them.

"Fine, let's make this quick" Hermione said "We still need to tell Draco"

"I'll take care of that" Rob told them "Harry get your invisibility cloak before McGonagall spots us. I see Draco there with Parkinson, it's now or never."

Rob had already disillusioned himself and they saw Draco turn round sharply and reach for his pocket. In matter of seconds, Rob had reappeared again and just nodded towards the blond Slytherin.

At the feast, the seats were already filled and the four of them quickly took the ones that were still free at the end of the table. Again there was much, much whispering between the students, rude enough to stare at Harry and his friends directly without any sense of shame or respect for privacy.

"I know how much you hate the stares Harry" said Rob leaning against the table "Don't let them get to you, people will always talk."

Their chat was cut down when Dumbledore stood up and the doors opened for the first years. Harry quickly lost attention as they were sorted one by one. He applauded lightly when one of them was added to Gryffindor but neither of them really looked up to see what was happening, except maybe Hermione, who from time to time switched from talking with Ron to watching apprehensively the teacher's table.

"I think I have seen the new Defense teacher" she commented frowning a bit.

"Oh no" muttered Ron "It can't be… it's that ponce that my mom likes to read… Lockhart if I am not mistaken"

"If he wasn't such a fraud I would be ogling him like the rest of the girls" said Hermione pointing at some of them who couldn't keep their eyes of the blonde teacher.

"So you read his books" said Rob "Bunch of stupid books, full of cr…"

"Language Rob" Hermione said "But yeah, they ARE horrible"

"Oh well, less books to read" Harry joked and then leaned in so no one else would listen "We need to find a way to share the book in those classes or I am going to be bored to death"

"Could you please stop talking" a voice said angrily. The four of them turned around and saw Ginny who was sitting next to Luna. Both were, of course, fuming at Harry for not paying attention.

"Hey Harry" another voice said, this time a boy, who was sitting two seats away from them. "How are you doing?"

"Neville!" Harry said "Incredible my friend, I'm so happy to be back! Have you taken care of the house for us? Keeping the Gryffindor honor and all that?"

At the comment, the boy blushed and looked briefly at the Hufflepuff table, where a certain blonde was chatting merrily with other girls.

"Ha!" Ron exclaimed "I think someone is just as happy to be back, don't you think Rob? That's my boy, Neville, that is"

"Gentlemen I think we have got ourselves a ladies man" Rob commented chuckling making Neville blush even more.

"Stop it you three" Hermione said smiling "Don't let them get to you, they are just jelaous " she told him and getting up she kissed his cheek lightly. After taking again her seat she turned around towards the Hufflepuff table.

"Why…" Neville began to say confused while Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan wondered why the brunette had greeted the boy that way. Apparently they had also noticed how much she had changed the last year.

Not only had Susan Bones noticed the exchange between them, but if stares could kill, Hermione would have been buried on the spot. What was most strange, Harry noticed as well as Rob, was that Ginny had frowned too and made a strange pout.

Rob thought that it was funny.

Harry thought it was cute, not that he would say it out loud any time soon.

"You totally did that on purpose, didn't you?" said Ron slightly annoyed. Harry frowned at the comment, but chuckled afterwards and shook his head.

"Look at the Hufflepuff table" said Hermione whispering "Susan is fuming at me. I just did it as a favor to Neville"

"Oh…" Ron said glancing for a moment to their Neighbors "You're right… she looks positively murderous. I'd take care if I were you."

A few moments later, the sorting got to an end with a last call –Valari, Karl, Slytherin ('_not another one!' _ Harry thought) - and Dumbledore rose once again.

"Welcome to the new students that today start their education at Hogwarts and Welcome to our old friends that return once again for a year full of magic" He said with both arms wide open "There are many things that I want to tell you, and the first one is _Tuck in!"_

"Yes Sir!" the voices of the twins were head above the silence as food instantly materialized on the four tables.

"So Harry, Rob" Neville asked as he served himself some mashed potatoes "Do you remember anything of the time you were gone?"

The phrase seemed to have drawn the attention of most of the Gryffindors and the table went quiet.

"Yes Harry" Ginny moving away a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face "Tell us, what did the great Harry Potter and his friends do last year?"

"That is not anyone's business" Rob interrupted before Harry could answer.

"I think she wasn't talking to you" a girly voice said next to Luna, who was unusually silent "By the way I didn't like that stunt you pulled on my sister Granger"

"I'm sorry? I think we haven't been introduced" she said confused, as were Ron, Harry and Rob.

"Persephone Bones" she said with her head held high "And you didn't let Harry answer. What were you going to say?"

Harry got nervous at the questioning stares from the rest of his house. He could _feel_ the penetrating stares from Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil just a few feet away. Ginny was smirking and Luna was just shaking her head. Robert rolled his eyes as most of the house attempted to hear whatever they were discussing. Even the older Gryffindors were talking in whispers to catch a glimpse of the discussion.

"Oh this is going to be harder than we thought" Ron muttered to himself.

"There is nothing to tell" said Harry mustering all his courage… and patience "We don't know what happen nor why we appeared one year later, so can you _please_ mind your own business?"

"Bollocks" he heard Seamus saying to Dean.

"It's the truth" Ron interrupted.

"You aren't fooling us" Ginny said glaring at the four of them.

"Ginny, what is the matter with you" Harry asked confused at her aggressive demeanor "That's all there is to the story"

Ginny watched directly at Harry's emerald eyes and the raven haired boy got a chill in his spine. Time stopped as hazel met green and his soul was left bare to the eyes of the red haired girl. He concentrated on his occlumency, and his head was filled with a whirlwind of thoughts, and he was able to break the stare.

"He is lying" Ginny whispered only to be heard by Luna.

"I know" she said absent mindedly "Wrackspurts have infected his tongue"

Ginny looked around and rolled her eyes. Luna always knew how to get a smile out of her with her magical animal talking, even when it would seem weird to everyone else, she would never let anyone make fun of her.

However, without noticing, Harry was watching as her smile formed and it felt like time had stopped for him. He couldn't understand why he was so drawn to it and he couldn't hear anything. Her hazel eyes lost their glare and changed into a pure and honest expression of happiness. He watched as the two girls exchanged some secret between themselves and laughed at a private joke.

That moment came to a rude stop when she turned around and the angry stare came back.

"Doesn't matter" Ginny said "We will find out one way or another"

"Blimey, these girls are persistent" Rob said "Anyways, _pops_ is speaking again"

It was obvious, Harry noticed, that Rob had missed his grandfather quite a bit, even when they had only met two years ago. It was unavoidable; Dumbledore was like a grandfather for everyone and he cared greatly for all his students.

"_Pops?_" Persephone asked incredulously "You mean the headmaster?"

"Yes" he said with his cold stare at the blonde girl "Is there a problem?"

The girl was startled at Rob's behavior and she only shook her head and turned towards the teachers table. Ginny and Luna looked at each other, frowning.

"Now, after a most exquisite feast" the headmaster said, raising his voice magically "And before you leave for a well-deserved rest, I find myself in the need of making some announces. The Forbidden forest is out of bounds for all students; please don't put yourself in any danger. Mr. Filch has updated the list of banned artifacts and use of such will not be tolerated. And of course I would like to introduce our new Proffessor for Defense Against the Darks Arts class, Gilderoy Lockhart, who has taken a break from his adventures" - sentence that the headmaster said as if he didn't quite believe in them – "to take a step in the education of young wizards and witches. Please let us welcome him to Hogwarts"

There was polite applause from all the tables and most of the female students were giving him loving stares as the professor rose. He had a white, perfect smile, blonde wavy hair and he was currently using an elegant purple robe that contrasted with everyone else's.

"He does seem a bit too… pompous" said Robert

"You mister, are just jealous of all the things he has done" said Persephone while still glancing at the professor.

"You must respect your professors Robert" he heard Demelza Robbins say from a few feet away.

"As if he had done all the things he claims" Harry muttered, without applauding at the professor.

"And how would you know?" asked Ginny crossing her arms.

"Read the books" was Hermione's answer, who was amongst the few witches who wasn't thrilled about the new professor "The only real achievement of his was winning the award for the best smile from Witches weekly, and his teeth look even unreal."

Ginny was about to answer her something, but the Headmaster beat her and called all the prefects to take the first years to the common rooms. Quickly, the tables began emptying and Robert glanced at the Slytherin, noticing that Draco had already split from his goons and Parkinson.

"It is time" he whispered to Harry, and motioned to Ron and Hermione to follow them. They got in the back of the line of the Gryffindors. Then, after passing the entrance hall, the Hufflepuffs started climbing the same stair. It was in that moment that the four of them took another hallway making sure no one had noticed.

Without thinking it twice, Harry pulled the invisibility cloak behind a column and put it around Hermione, Ron and himself, while Rob went disillusioned. The four of them started making their way, towards the entrance, where Draco was waiting,

He seemed to sense them as he turned sharply towards the general area where they were walking. Rob whispered him to follow them and the Slytherin quickly vanished and followed their steps.

* * *

The sky was clear and the stars shone brightly, as the five students walked around the edge of the lake towards the Forbidden Forest.

"Long time, no see Draco" Harry said as he greeted him.

"It has been, Harry" he said smiling, a gesture not usually seen on the Slytherin boy. Only the four Gryffindors had seen that kind of smile before.

"It is good to finally be back" Draco said "Ruddy training… Anyways, things are getting a bit… difficult in the school my friends."

There was silence for a second, only broken by the sound of their steps running through the night.

"So you have said" Rob said coolly "What could be so dangerous this year now that is worse than Voldemort, vampires and a three headed dog?"

"They have been spreading a drug" Draco announced "My father was told about it… they call it Vextral, and they can't find a cure yet."

"What is it made of?" Hermione asked wearily.

"Nobody knows"

"One problem at a time" Harry said "First let's do this, hopefully no one will notice our absence."

Finally they entered the forbidden forest and walked cautiously as they made way towards the Guardians hall. They had memorized it quite thoroughly and they could easily find the path that would take them there.

They arrived at the place where the stone plaque stood, with the symbol of the book engraved on it. Rob and Draco finally took off the Disillusionment and Harry got rid of the cloak as well. Then they stepped up to the stone.

For a second nothing happened, but a blue light then poured from below the stone and they were transported in to the main room of the guardian's cave.

Rob took the book out and placed it once again on the stone pillar on the middle of the circular room. The five of them took their place on one of the eight circles surrounding the pillar and the room lit up, the symbols and decorations emanating a clear blue light.

A man then appeared in front of them. Just a shade, made out of an illusion of what once was the greatest wizard from all times.

"Greetings, younglings" Merlin said "I see that you have brought back the book. Very good. However, before you continue your studies and your training, there is something you must know."

"I have some questions" said Rob

"And they shall be answered in due time, young one" he said chuckling "After I say what I have to say. Patience is a virtue"

Robert just nodded and waited for the wizard to continue.

"It is of utter importance that you remember what I am going to say" Merlin continued "In order to protect you, we have taken a final step after you finished the last year of training. The memories of your mentors have been modified and they will not remember you."

"What!" exclaimed Ron "You mean… they don't know who we are?"

"But why?" asked Hermione "Is there a reason for them not to know about our training? And what about the places we have been?"

"They still remember training, but by themselves" Merlin stated "The only place they will forget entirely its Atlantis. Only the _Ainur _must know of its existence. The reason we decided to erase you from their memories, it's because you need to prepare, wait to fight only _until_ you are ready. Your mentors form a part of a group that has fought before against the Lord Snakes followers, but they will not succeed to defeat their masters. Therefore, if any of the dark wizards discover about you, they will come hunting you before you can defend against their true power"

"You mean we haven't fought their most powerful wizards?" asked Draco incredulously "But…. What can we do to defeat them? We can barely defend against the ones that have attacked us"

"Within you, Ainur, children of prophecy, resides the power to vanquish once and for all the Snake Dark Lords. So the words of the prophet say:

_It shall be when the fourth snake rise that dark time will come upon. But light will shine, and the Ainur shall come forth. And they will bury the shadows until the end of times._

Heed my words Children! No one must know you are preparing! Your mentors will remember nothing. You will only put in danger anyone who knows your true identity. This book, the Book of Magic, will instruct you in the magic arts of your desire! And a word of warning, do not dwell more than necessary in the dark arts, young master Malfoy, or they will consume you.

Now, I will give each of you the means to access the book separately, however only the keeper will have the real one"

Rob, who had frowned when he warned Draco, got even more confused when he said that.

"But… how can each of us have a copy, but only one of them its real?" Rob inquired "What if we lose it or it is stolen?"

"This are not copies, young one" Merlin said "These are Mirror images of the book of magic. They will give you the knowledge you need, but only you will be able to read it. If it is taken for you, it will lose its power until it returns to your hands, and it can only be read by yourself, no one else can see its contents."

The old wizard then moved his free arm slowly, with his hand opened, and a blue light blinded the five children. Then on their hands, a thin book appeared. Each had a brown cover and the symbol of Merlin drawn in black ink. Hermione lost no time and started flipping pages and pages of the book, completely amazed that it did have the contents of the Book of Magic.

"Young Robert" Merlin called once again "It is you who has been bestowed with the burden of becoming Keeper of the Book. When the moment is right, the book will take its true form and will aid you in any endeavor. Only the keeper of the book will have the power to call the book in times of trouble."

Robert nodded and checked his own copy thoroughly, noticing that the symbol was drawn in white, rather than black.

"Why the other guardians didn't show?" asked Harry

"We are old enchantments" Merlin answered "Made by the real guardians eons ago, when our magic was strong and the book was young like you Master Potter. Today, the guardians protect many places that need protecting, as you will do when the time is right."

"This is amazing" said Ron, glancing through the pages "Everything I need is here"

He then looked at the old wizard who watched with rapt attention.

"I promise to make good use of it"

"I ask nothing more of you, young one" Merlin said "One last thing before you depart, young _Ainur_. There is some evil in the castle that you need to overcome, Keeper of the Book, and you will need the help of your friends. Be careful, for the Snakes will watch you. These halls will serve as a training ground, for the castle it's not concealed from them. Each of the rooms will provide you with anything you need. It is my hope that it will prove useful for you.

Also it is in this year that one of you will meet the last of the chosen ones. Be prepared."

And before they could ask anything else, the wizard struck the floor with his staff and disappeared.

The stone pillar started glowing and the children all placed a hand on it. A blue light washed over them and they were sent again to the forbidden forest.

"What did he mean by the rooms providing us everything we need" asked Ron, placing the book under his arm.

"Maybe it's like the Room of Requirement" said Hermione "And it is even better because it's away from the castle and no one will know we are here. Draco, what did he mean about the dark arts?"

"It is nothing" the Slytherin said "It's just…"

"Come on Draco" said Harry, as he put an arm around him "You already know that there is nothing you can't tell us. We will help you and you know it. That's what friends are for."

"Thank you" Draco said quietly as he looked to the ground. He then sighed and looked at Harry "Don't worry, it's just that my mentor had… uncommon background… He made me promise I wouldn't say who he was."

"Its fine, mate" Ron said "We respect that. Oh, and by the way… keep the insults low during classes, all right?"

"I'll do what I can" Draco answered chuckling "You just make it to easy!"

"I wonder what did Merlin meant by the darkness in the castle" Hermione said as they started walking towards the edge of the forest. "Do you think it is about the Vextral?"

A lone howl was heard on the distance, as the five wizards walked in silence, not knowing what the answer was.

"It doesn't matter" Harry said smiling "It doesn't matter, because whatever the evil is, we will all face it."

"Together!" they all exclaimed.

And then, under the light of a half-moon pouring through the trees of the forest, the five children vanished.

**A/N: Please leave Reviews! tell me what you think! :)**


	8. Voices in the Dark

**Chapter 8: Voices in the dark**

The only way Harry could describe the first week of school was as tense. There were several reasons that made him reach such conclusion. Robert was the first one to notice it, and both Hermione and Ron had agreed that there was something wrong.

It just didn't feel like last time they went in school.

The signs were subtle, not discernable at first sight. One could say that it was a normal start, but it wasn't. Only the newcomers from first year were carefree and somewhat relaxed. But almost everyone seemed to be on their guard, glancing around their shoulders, as if someone would attack them in any moment, as a gazelle that has just heard a twig snap and it's expecting the tiger to pounce.

Harry woke up early that Monday, and found out Robert was already up, glancing out the window, arms crossed.

"I was waiting for you to get up, wake up Ron and let's get going already," he had said.

The sun was yet to rise, and the starred sky was witness to the first of many excursions that would take place at such young hours of the day. Rapidly, they reached the entrance halls after meeting Hermione and Draco on their way down.

"Did you make sure no one followed mate?" Harry asked.

"Of course!" Draco growled "I don't fancy being caught by Valari and his cronies when a Gryffindor calls me 'mate', especially by you three. It would be like asking nicely for a cup of tea to a giant."

Once again, the five friends arrived at the entrance of 'The cave' as they had named it, and got rid of the invisibility cloak and the disillusionment charms. They were starting to become very proficient performing the latter. Robert began to use a spell that silenced his shoes, making it almost impossible to detect where he was. Hermione beamed at him _'What a great idea! Maybe we can muffle all sounds we produce!_'.

This time however they didn't crossed all the way to the main hall, but began exploring. The hallway was about ten feet wide and a hundred yards long. There were various rooms on either side adorned with the same symbols from the book, and the eager teenagers separated to inspect some of them.

Harry took the first one on the right side, which turned out to be an armory. The room was long, its stone walls lit by various torches that came to life as he entered. It had three long tables, one on either side and one in the middle. On the tables were the most impressive pieces of work he had ever seen. They seemed as if taken out of a fantasy book. It reminded him of the arsenal at Atlantis. Slowly he admired the amazing weapons, shields, armors, made out of iron, steel, bronze, and even a white metal he did not recognize. Lined with gold and silver, they stood gallantly, as if waiting for someone worthy of wielding them. On the far side of the room a stone was engraved in Runes that he did not recognize. A shield then called his attention. It glowed in a faint blue light and in the edge many blue gemstones were encrusted. A small engraving was written in another language, and without even noticing he muttered a phrase:

'_Vara en' I'Vanya'_

"Harry!" a muffled voice came from the hallway "We found the Room!"

Glancing away, he ran following said voice. He found Hermione on the middle door on the left. A stone archway towered over the five amazed students, and on top another phrase read.

'_Ask and thou shall receive'_

"What are we waiting for, then?" Harry asked as they entered. The room had been completely dark, but in the instant that they took a step in, they found themselves in the skirts of a stadium.

"Can someone tell me where are we?" asked Ron befuddled "Who asked for it?"

"I think I did" Harry asked. He subconsciously had thought of his training in the lost island, and the rood seemed to catch on and recreated it.

"It looks like the _Colliseum_" Hermione announced

"It's the same one that I used to train when I was in Atlantis" Harry said as he started stretching, with a smile on his face. "How about some laps to start? Then we can move to some other training like weights or something of the sort"

"Fine by me" Ron said.

"Let's get started then" said Hermione as she transfigured her clothes. It was safe to say that the four blokes were perplexed not only for her abilities in one of the most difficult branches of magic, but the brunette had truly changed very much during the year they were gone. Harry, Rob and Draco quickly averted their sight, but Ron couldn't get himself not to stare. Hermione was too busy fixing her hair in a ponytail and stretched his arms upwards. She was wearing a light brown top that fit tightly in her upper body and black pants that hugged her hips and legs perfectly, reaching just below her knees. To say the least, Ron was positively gaping.

Luckily enough he was able to shake his head and look away just before Hermione turned around.

"That's a neat trick, Hermione" Draco announced, smirking as he saw how the red head was blushing "And you really have changed this year… we might have to hide you from all the boys that will be ogling at you."

Ron growled when he heard that. Hermione smirked for a second before giggling girlishly.

"Why thank you Mr. Malfoy" she said still stretching "I don't think I'm going to have problems with anyone though"

"Enough chit chat" Robert said after having changed into a sport outfit as Harry and Ron had already done "Time for some laps."

They ran for approximately half an hour, at which point Hermione presented them with a charm that made their clothes become many pounds heavier. Robert was really impressed and said they should use them all the time, to get in better condition,

Even when their plan was to start on their magic training that morning, they had ended completely and utterly exhausted from their running. After the first laps Harry understood that even with the charm on their clothes, they exercised all parts of their body. By the end of the running, an hour later, he felt his arms and torso heavy and burning. And by the looks of everyone else, they were as tired too. Maybe when they got in better shape he would tell them how to use the _Treksimos_ charm. Otherwise they would get tired too fast.

"We should get back" Rob announced panting slightly "As fun as this is I think we need to get used to his weight and then start training in something else"

"I second that" said Draco "I'm going to hit the showers, assuming there are some here…"

"Draco" Harry called for the Slytherin boy, after they had showered and transfigured their robes back to normal and cleaned them "You need to be careful out there in the castle. I've seen that there are more and more members of the Valari family now. We need to find an easier and faster way to talk. "

"I'm working on it" announced Ron.

"Then we will have to wait until Ron is finished" said Draco, a bit put out "Until then, we can only talk during the morning during training. I'll try to dig out any nasty stuff the Valari are up to."

"Draco" Rob said and looked at the boy seriously "I know the house rivalries run deep, and we really like that you can be with us here. I think…"

Harry frowned at his friend deep in thought, he had that look of concentration, thinking hard and then he breathed in and raised his head, as if he had taken a decision. His eyes were blazing, not differently from the twinkle of the headmaster. He looked… powerful. And suddenly he understood what he was trying to tell, what he wanted to achieve.

"We need to put an end; we _can_ get along…" Harry said "these house rivalries are dumb and they split up people. Draco for example is good person, but he has been told that he is supposed to be a certain way, and we have been taught that Slytherins are evil and who knows what else. If we hadn't been told to act that way we would've became friends sooner. Not all Slytherins are bad"

"And Maybe not all Gryffindors are good and saints" Draco said with his trademark smirk.

"That can be true too" Harry said "Anyways, let's get going"

* * *

The great hall was already half filled when Harry and Rob arrived followed closely by Ron and Hermione. They sat on the farthest part of the table and started serving food on their plates. Harry glanced towards the Slytherin table briefly and gave a knowing look when his eyes met the gray ones from Draco who gave the slightest of nods in return.

"Mr. Potter" a voice called next to him and he was met with the stern frown of Professor McGonagall. "Here is your schedule. As I told your friends, you will be placed on the second year class…"

Harry heard a huff and a snort from a couple of seats away and saw Ginny and Luna glaring at him and his friends. McGonagall went on talking apparently not noticing.

"But if you feel the material is more advanced than what you remember you will be offered tutoring by the corresponding professor for each class."

"That will not be necessary, Professor" he said smiling up to her, gesture that the old lady returned with a slight smile and a nod. McGonagall was always known for revering dedication and chastising laziness. The stern professor then proceeded through the table giving out the schedules.

"Well, it seems that we have Defense first" said Ron "Let's see what kind of git Lockhart is"

"He is NOT a git!" someone next to him yelled angrily, and the four friends looked up to see Ginny, Luna with the rest of the second years and upper years –girls mostly – fuming at what Ron had said. From his seat Harry could see Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil glaring daggers at Ron. The red head only shrugged and continued eating ignoring the piercing stares of their housemates.

"Have you read his books Ginny?" asked Hermione as nicely as she could "If you pay attention you will notice that some dates don't even match, and the way he tell the stories… it doesn't seem real you know?"

Ginny might have been stubborn and at the moment she couldn't trust her brother or his friends, but not enough as to not investigate that matter. So she merely shrugged and went back to her breakfast.

"Well well, if isn't our favorite younger brother and his _dodgy_ friends" said two voices in unison.

"Hey, Fred, George" said Ron still digging at his food

"We were wondering" said Fred pointing at his brother and himself "If we could talk with you and your lovely acquaintances for a few moments"

The rest of second and third years frowned when the Weasley twins called them in a so… serious way. It was not common from them. The prank war against Slytherins still lingered on their minds, since it had been long and vicious. It had seemed to get to new levels when the Vextral cases started increasing, so it was a way to retaliate. But things had gotten out of hand several times. The twins had merely shrugged when Ginny told them, answering that what they were doing was far worse and no one else was doing anything about it.

Harry looked to the rest of his friends and they all nodded. They all stood up and the Weasley twins led them to a hallway that was rarely used, just above the dungeons, on the east side of the castle. On the right, there was an unused classroom.

"Ok Fred, George" Rob said seriously "What's this all about? I hope it's not about the blasted book again"

Unconsciously his hand went to his satchel where the book was safely hidden under a disillusionment charm.

"Yea that subject is getting old" said Hermione nonchalantly "And it is getting late, and I don't want to be late for class"

"Even when it is for that git Lockhart?" asked Ron incredulously "But you said…"

"That's not why we are here" said George gravely, closing the door and placing a silence charm. Harry then understood why they had taken them away from the great hall.

"We don't want you meddling with the Valari like your first year" said Fred without any hint of his usual wicked smirk or her carefree smile.

"And why…" asked Harry "Is that an issue now? What changed last year? I'm still wrapping my head around the thought that one year has passed."

"I think we proved last year that we can at least know what's happening" stated Rob gravely. The twins looked at each other and sighed.

"Things are more dangerous now" George said "They're giving people some kind of potion and they end up like… drugged or something, stunned for a whole day. Worse of all… People are starting to get addicted and Dumbledore… the headmaster that is, has not been able to find who's doing it.

"But you think the Valari are behind this" said Harry. There was no other explanation as to why they had asked not to confront them.

"It doesn't matter!" Fred snarled "Don't you get it… its dangerous. You will NOT put yourselves in danger and that's final."

"What changed?" Rob asked "Last year you _asked_ us to help you"

"It is different now" George answered.

"Different HOW?" Harry asked. He definitely didn't like to be treated as a child. Not with what he had seen and with everything he and his friends were doing. That so called training and the sketchy prophecy the guardians were always talking about.

"You wouldn't…"

"What in Merlin's name is happening here?" a deep voice asked, interrupting the twin's response. Snape had his usual sneer plastered on his face as he dispelled the charms on the door. His dark eyes searched through the Gryffindors, looking for anything out of place.

"Nothing Professor Snape" Hermione said as nicely as she could manage "Friendly argument"

"Then I suggest you leave for your respective classrooms" he said emotionlessly "And... I warn you… I expect an actual effort in my class; I will not give any special treatment regardless of your situation."

He had watched straight to Harry's eyes the entire time, before making way for the dungeons.

"We already told you" Fred said gravely.

"Stay away from the Valari" George finished, before taking the stairwell, which immediately moved before the annoyed second years could reply.

"They have no right" Ron began but was cut off sharply by Hermione.

"We know Ron" she said sighing "Many things have changed"

"It's getting late for Transfiguration" Harry announced "And I do not fancy getting on McGonagall's bad side so early in the year."

Cursing his bad luck, they did arrive late at the classroom, and as he had predicted, McGonagall had looked disappointed and the rest of the students, consisting of Ravenclaws and Gryiffindors.

"I expected otherwise from you Miss Granger" she had said, making Hermione look down sadly "The five of you better perform accordingly or I will find myself with the necessity to send you to a remedial class."

Silently the four of them took their seats on the back of the class. Harry glanced at Robert and pointed to Hermione who had a defeated look on her face. Robert sighed and gave him a nod.

Harry looked around and found many new faces. Some of them were familiar, but he only actually knew Ginny, Luna and Persephone, the blonde who had berated them the night before. Most of them, were already working in their assignment: changing a beetle into a coin.

Harry looked to Hermione and leaned towards her.

"Don't worry" Harry whispered gently at her "Do your best; teach them what you can do."

"But Harry"

"But Nothing Hermione" he interrupted her "You deserve this; it's unfair from us to make you do badly in classes. Prove them wrong, show them what a muggleborn it's made of. You're the smartest witch of our generation, act as such"

"Mr. Potter" McGonagall called from the front.

"I'm sorry Professor" he said sitting straight in his desk.

Hermione gave him a warm smile and without hesitation took out her copy of the magic book and grabbed the beetle on her hand. Harry looked around and noticed that no one else had been able to transfigure it.

Ron had seen what Harry had done and the four friends smirked as both of them and Rob looked to Hermione. The brunette had not already told her friends, but her favorite subject was transfiguration, which was the one she was best at, and the one she had been most trained at by Lynette last year. Without even doing the wand's movement, she pointed it at the insect and muttered in a barely audible voice.

"_Cupio mutare bestia,Quaero abs magicae"_

During the summer, Hermione had shown them how proficient she had become in transfiguration –'_The clue is to understand what you are transfiguring any object INTO, and I mean every aspect' – _she had said - _For example, if I want to change an animal into something else, I don't really need to know its biology. But if I'm changing the animal into, let's say, a sword, I need to visualize its length, material, sharpness… every little detail that is part of the sword. Only then you can have a lasting transfigured or conjured object._

The result was obviously astounding as the bug was immediately transformed into a galleon. The golden coin was for lack of a better word, perfect. There was not the minimal difference between a real one and Hermione's. Harry smirked, and took one of the bugs under the table. Another trick that Hermione had discovered was that when in touch with the object that was going to be transfigured, the wand was not even necessary. Not many people knew it, and the few that did, couldn't do it because it took a lot of energy and the contact was mandatory.

Muttering the words, he felt a pulse running through his arm as he concentrated in the coin and tried to imagine every detail. The bug stretched and turned gold and in matter of a second, he had a heavy galleon on his hand.

He had purposely held his wand and said the incantation that McGonagall had written on the blackboard - '_Vitae Permuto' –_ and completely failed, which earned him a slightly patronizing look with her lips thin and a small shake of her head.

When she turned around, and no one was noticing, he took out the coin and showed it to Ron, that was on his left and then to Hermione and Rob who were on his right. Hermione was the best at transfiguration, but the other three weren't far behind. Only Rob had little trouble, and ironically, transfiguration wasn't his strong, in spite of his grandfather being a master in the art.

Not to say he was bad, he just didn't do as well as Hermione. Incredibly, Ron was the second best, followed closely by Harry himself.

"I find it useful for the stuff I'm trying to do" he said when they asked.

Both him and Rob showed their coins too and quickly hid them before anyone could notice. That left only Hermione so she could get some credit from their Head of House. And just as they put their transfigured beetles, McGonagall reached the brunette's desk and gasped.

"That's impressive Miss Granger" she exclaimed, getting the attention of the rest of the class "Was it your first try?"

"Yes, Professor" she said smiling brightly "I studied animate to unanimated transfiguration the short time that we had this summer."

"That deservers ten points for Gryffindor for a magnificent job, Miss Granger" she said returning her student's smile "You are exempt from homework for the next class."

"That is not necessary, professor" Hermione said, unaware of some of the glares that the rest of the room was giving her.

"If you insist" she said with a slight shrug "Be sure to keep practicing either way. Excellent job, may I take your galleon?"

"Sure professor"

As the stern professor made way to her desk in the front, Ginny looked back with a frown on her face. Luna also turned around, but knowing what was coming she just rolled her eyes. Harry saw this and shook his head as he couldn't understand why Ginny was acting that way. Rob seemed like he couldn't care less and returned to the book he was reading.

"How did you do it on your first try" she said a bit forcefully.

"I just followed McGonagall's instructions Ginny" she said as nicely as she could "I didn't want to brag about it or anything, it's just I like Transfiguration very much"

"Hmmph" she said turning around and instantly transfiguring her bug. Luna looked at Hermione with a sad smile and returned to her assignment.

Neither of them noticed the frown on the Professor's face when she started examining Hermione's coin.

Obviously Ginny and Luna had been used the last year to be the first ones in achieving their spells, but from the moment that Hermione hit the classrooms, they were both taken from the spotlight. Herbology had gone smoothly, as always, not being exactly their forte. Charms had been a piece of cake for her; the rest simply did the spell without anyone noticing just to make sure they could do them.

Harry had started casting without using his wand.

As they had predicted, Defense Against the Dark Arts turned out to be a complete joke. Lockhart had even asked Harry to stay after class to give him some advice to manage his fame. He even implied that_ he_ was more famous than the boy-who-lived.

Anyhow, Robert was thoroughly distracted from class, reading the book the whole time. He absent mindedly did some of the spells they asked, but pretty much stayed quiet the whole time. Ron started working in his little project while most people weren't looking, and Defense prove to the best occasion since everyone was paying attention to Lockhart's speech about his '_oh so great deeds'_ as Hermione had put it. The brunette had managed to finish Charms and Transfiguration homework the first half hour and took out her copy of the book as well. She had a smile from ear to ear plastered on her face the whole time.

Harry, for his part, had started reading about wards and their creation. However he didn't understand much for his lack of knowledge in Arithmancy and runes. Time to time a spell would call his attention and he'd try to remember it. Surprisingly, he could remember things more easily and had started to 'build' his own archive for Defensive and offensive spells. The book took defense magic a whole new level, even from what they had done before.

Finally Lockhart's class ended and the pompous professor tried to call Harry, but he scurried quickly out the classroom and waited for his friends to come out.

"You were lucky to get out, mate" Robert told him chuckling "The dumbass looked like he wanted to have a word with you."

"Language, Rob" Hermione said "Anyways, that was the worst class ever! I'm going to go crazy if I hear how he _cured a werewolf_ with a simple spell _again_."

"Told you" Ron interrupted her "How many times have I repeated that"

"Too many" the others said in unison.

"Move out of the way" a voice said behind them, and they looked around to find Tanja Varenkov, with a scowl on her pale face, his clear light green-blue eyes shining.

"There's plenty of room in the hallway, Varenkov" Harry said turning around to keep walking.

However he was frozen on the spot when without even noticing, the Slytherin girl whispered something in his ear.

"The last time you and your friends were lucky" she said "That won't happen again"

Harry recoiled as fast as he could and drew his wand. Robert immediately took out his too as well as the rest of the Gryffindors and Slytherins present. He hadn't felt her come next to him, and her words were cold and harsh. He couldn't believe how fast she had moved. She must have been at least three feet away before she had gotten to him.

"Now now" she said shrugging, as she played with her wand "There is no need to be aggressive children".

Her mocking tone just made them even angrier.

"What was that for?" asked Robert, lowering her wand, when he noticed no one really wanted to fight, but merely took precautions.

"Simply a friendly reminder" she said nonchalantly, as she took a strand of her long, silky black hair away from her face. If he hadn't been so distressed, Harry would have to admit she wasn't bad too look at.

"Move along Varenkov" a voice said behind them "We have better things to be doing that talking with these… commoners"

The Gryffindors turned around and saw Draco, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle as they walked through the hallway. Apparently, without the help of Draco his 'bodyguards' had failed all their classes and with much difficulties they had been allowed to repeat the whole second year.

"And may I ask" Varenkov said looking defiantly at Draco "What makes you think you can tell me what to do?"

"I wasn't implying anything"

Harry watched the exchange with slight curiosity, barely managing to stop a smirk forming on his face.

"I was merely pointing out that you shouldn't waste your time with these people" the Malfoy heir said as he shrugged, never stopping on his way "But if you prefer it that way… who am I to stop you?"

Draco continued his way, never sparing a glance to the entire group of Gryffindors standing on the side of the hallway. However, he stared intently at Varenkov's eyes as if measuring her.

The pale girl returned his stare with an irritated glare, and she huffed as she stomped away.

"What was all that about"

"Mate" Ron said shaking his head "I have no bloody idea"

"If I didn't know better" Hermione interrupted, huffing at Ron's cursing "I'd say he likes her"

"_What?"_ her three friends said at unison.

Unbeknownst to them, farther away in the hallway, Ginny and Luna had seen the entire thing.

"Did you see how she moved?" Luna asked

"I know!" Ginny said totally in shock "But I did notice as well that the four of them had their wands drawn at the moment she started talking."

"Ginny you've got to stop doing that!" she whispered harshly "Why are you so mad at them?"

"Because they are_ lying!_" Ginny answered in the same tone. The duo quickly followed them as they made way to the potions classroom. Behind them Colin Creevey was talking to Caroline Smith, another muggleborn housemate in their year. Luna shook her head.

"If they were really telling the truth about not stealing the book I wouldn't be angry" she said more calmly "But remember everything that happened two years ago? The troll, St. Catchpole, and the ifrit?"

Luna's eyed widened. She had forgotten about the supposed being that was living inside Robert.

"But they act as if nothing is happening… do you think they got rid of it?"

"I don't know Luna" Ginny said as she waited for a staircase to move to the proper hallway for the dungeons "But they seem to be doing bad on classes! And they were so good! That's something else that they are lying about and I don't like it"

"I've seen Robert in class reading the books not paying attention to anything the professors say. He seems bored."

"Only Grangers seems to actually do something in class" she said before sighing "I don't understand what is happening, but we'll get to the bottom of it"

* * *

Potions had been the worse class by far. From the moment Harry entered the classroom, he _knew_ it wouldn't be pretty.

"Ah our favorite celebrity has decided to join us" Snape said coldly "Follow the instructions on the board… Today you will be brewing the Swelling Solution. I insist on everyone being _careful_, since the effect of this potion can be… undesirable. Begin."

Around twenty simmering caldrons stood around, exhausting fumes of various colors and smells. This was the only class that Harry had decided to do an actual effort, since it was the only one that he was _not_ good at. He had partnered with Robert who was reading the book, currently charmed too look as the potions book. Harry noticed Ginny giving him furtive glances.

"Mate, we've got to do something about Ginny" he said exasperatedly "Since we came back she has been angry at us. Is it really a bad idea to share the book with them?"

"We've been over this" said Robert sighing "We are protecting them. If the Lord Snakes discover they have a copy of the book, there's no telling what could happen…"

"Mr. Dumbledore!" Snape bellowed from across the room "Ten point from Gryffindor, there will be no favorites in this class, even if you _are_ the headmaster's grandson."

A cough was heard as Ron struggled to cover his laugh.

"Hypocrite" they heard Hermione whisper as she cut a salamander eye in half and read the book at the same time.

Aside from the criticizing remarks towards all the Gryffindors from Snape, the class was going relatively calm as everyone seemed to be enraptured in the assignment. Harry glanced sideways and saw Draco immersed in the potions as he and Varenkov barely managed to get along. The pale girl was continuously glaring at the blonde and the latter appeared to be torn between watching the cauldron and getting the attention of the girl.

Rob was getting desperate as he watched the fire while trying to concentrate in his reading. They had to add the salamander eye exactly twenty five minutes after boiling the initial mixture at 100 degrees.

"Ok that's enough" he said and passed his hand over the edge of the cauldron, muttering some words that Harry quite didn't hear. After a few seconds three blue runes appeared on the cauldron, glowing softly and he merely dropped the Salamander eye, which had suddenly turned the same blue color. The runes started then changing and Harry realized what he had done.

"It's a countdown, isn't it?" Harry asked curiosity getting the best of him.

"Yep, it will add the Salamander eye when it finishes" he said nonchalantly as he opened his book "It's easy, want me to try it on yours?"

"Sure mate, can you teach me how to do it?"

"Tomorrow maybe, in the morning, sure, no problem"

In that very moment, Harry caught sight of something flying directly to his cauldron, and he reacted on instinct and snatched it out of the air.

"Erumpent… this could have blown up my cauldron"

Rob had noticed the small bag that contained the explosive liquid produced by the magic creature. Both of them turned around looking for the perpetrator but found themselves under the stare of a _very_ livid Snape.

"Potter what are you doing with _that!_" He demanded.

"Professor I… someone threw it"

"Don't you dare try to blame someone else!" Snape interrupted "You were trying to ruin one of your classmates work! Detention Tonight! McGonagall will know about this!"

He couldn't believe it! The greasy git was punishing _him_.

"But Professor" Harry tried to say as respectfully as he could.

"But Nothing Potter" he said scowling "And if you say something else I will take more points from Gryffindor"

"Yes, Professor"

* * *

By the time he finished cleaning the cauldrons by _hand_, it was already half hour before curfew. Snape dismissed him as rudely as he had treated him for the duration of the class. He didn't understand why did the potion master loathed him so fervently, but he promised himself he would find out as soon as possible.

Just when he had gone out the potions classroom a voice spoke next to him.

"How was your detention, Harry?"

Harry jumped startled and was in the process of hexing whoever had scared the brains out of him until he realized who it was.

"Rob, mate, I was a millisecond away from cursing you to oblivion" he said clutching his heart.

"As if…" Rob said smirking "Anyways, did you enjoy your evening with your favorite professor?"

"Of course!" Harry said sarcastically as they made way through the dark corridor towards the staircase that would led them to the Gryffindor common room "We had a nice tea and enjoyed a few games of _cleaning cauldrons without magic._ Do you even have an idea of what sort of nasty things Crabbe and Goyle come up with while 'brewing'. It looked like the things that they eat after being regurgitated."

"Urgh" Ron said disgusted "That's a bad mental image, that is."

"Let's hurry" said Hermione "I don't fancy getting caught by Snape or McGonagall after curfew. Merlin knows he would _love_ to have an excuse to expel us."

"Would that be so bad?" said Ron exasperatedly "I mean, were you in the same Charms class as me? Don't get me wrong, Flitwick can be pretty amazing but, really, tickling charm?"

Harry was about to retort when he stopped abruptly as a faint, harsh whisper was heard, at least by him.

"_Come…. I want to kill you… I want blood…. Come here…"_

Rob frowned when he noticed Harry stop and Ron and Hermione where the next ones to stop.

"Something wrong Harry?" Hermione asked confused.

"Didn't you hear?" he said looking around, searching for the source of the voice

"Someone, or something! It was talking about killing!"

"_What?_" Ron asked bewildered. Rob in the other hand, didn't hesitate to take out his wand and the rest followed suit. Harry was already pointing straight from the moment the voice started.

"I didn't hear anything" Hermione whispered lighting the way with her wand "Are you sure Harry?"

"I'm sure!"

Then out of nowhere, Harry heard it once again, this time a bit louder, but muffled as well. A chill crept up his back, as the icy, deathly voice thundered down the corridor.

"_I know you are there… I will kill you… I want your blood!"_

This time Robert stopped abruptly, his eyes widened, and sweat layered his fore head.

"I heard it too…" he said, his voice trembled and his wand followed.

"What are you talking about!" said Ron aiming down the corridor "There is no voice!"

"Quiet Ron!" Hermione said "Maybe they can hear it for a reason and we can't. We should disillusion ourselves, just in case." She added, trying not to look frightened.

"_Ledrith"_ they all muttered.

"Great how are we going to know where the others are?" Ron asked.

"I made a spell" Hermione said.

"Exactly how do you _make_ a spell Hermione" Harry asked, since it was not the first time that she had come out from something that wasn't in the books but from her own creation.

"This is _so not_ the time to discuss this Harry" she whispered exasperatedly "Now say after me _Thermos Veos"_

The result was incredible. Harry could suddenly see a figure, covered in red and orange, and yellow. He realized then that it was Ron and next to him another figure that he recognized as Hermione.

"What is this!"

"Most living things emit heat" Hermione said in her lecture mode "This spell allows the caster to see the temperature of everything"

"That's amazing Hermione" Rob said "As he checked their surroundings. But what if what were are looking for doesn't radiate heat?"

"I was hoping you and Harry would hear it before we reached it"

"Speaking of that" Ron interrupted "Should we be following this thing? Or should we be looking for it?"

The red blob that he assumed was Harry turned around and Ron knew it had been a dumb question. They were of course following whatever _thing_ was looking to kill and devour whatever on its path.

"Oh well" he said "What could possibly go wrong?"

A sound was heard then from beyond, on one of the upper floors, and it froze the blood in their veins. Something was moving just above. Taking no chances, Harry summoned his sword while Hermione enlarged hers. The four Gryffindors felt far from brave at that moment, and they scurried, glued to the walls as they rounded another corner and climbed the main stairway.

"_You will not escape…. I will feast in your felsh!"_

"Merlin's beard" Harry muttered as he stopped once again.

"What? What happened?" Ron said "I swear I'm liking this less and less with each moment"

"It came from there" Rob pointed to a squeaky wooden door at the end of the corridor.

"That's a girl's bathroom" Hermione said "And it's supposedly haunted by a ghost. Myrtle I think she's called"

"I don't know what's in there but it sure left a mess" Rob said pointing at the floor, covered with water.

!BAM!

A loud thud boomed throughout the empty castle coming from the higher levels. Without anyone saying nothing, they ran towards the source from the sound, but they lost it by the fourth floor.

"Everyone on the castle must have heard that" Harry recognized "And that thing seems to be gone… for now"

"Let's go before Snape and Filch catches with us" Rob said "And hide your swords, otherwise you will have some uncomfortable interrogatory to look forward to…"

"Hurry then… I think I heard someone climbing the stairs."

They quickly arrived at the Gryffindor tower, and the three boys said their good nights to Hermione as she went to the Girls dormitories. Ron was asleep as soon as he hit the bed but both Harry and Rob stayed awake.

"What do you think it was?" Harry asked him, his voice low not to wake his dorm mates "And why did only the two of us could hear it?"

"I have no bloody idea" Rob said crossing his arms "But we will have to look for something that not everyone can hear."

"Or see"

"Yea that too" Rob said "All the weird stuff happens to us huh?"

"I was wondering about that too" Harry said "Why do you think that is? It can't be a coincidence"

"Beats me mate…." Rob said "Anyways let's go to sleep, we have an early day tomorrow."

And that voice was the first sign that their week, and of course the entire year, would be a rough one.

* * *

**A/N: Well thats Chapter 8 and counting! Please R&R i'd like to know what ppl think about the fic! :)**


	9. Message on the Wall

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing related to Harry Potter, if I did I would probably not be writing the fanfic :P

**Chapter 9: The message on the wall**

Harry knew something was very wrong with Lockhart.

Not only was he a _terrible_ teacher, but his deceits were so obvious and at plain sight for everyone and yet no one questioned him. What was Dumbledore thinking when he hired the so called famous 'hero' – who was still to demonstrate how he had really beat the werewolf and got rid of the banshee – Harry could only wonder. On top of it he was adamant in becoming his tutor in what the man called the 'fame' business.

The headmaster must have been really preoccupied in other matters to have hired a man like him.

A few weeks into the first term, Colin Creevey had taken a few pictures of him – without his consent of course – and Lockhart had decided to meddle again and started announcing that it wasn't a good idea for him to give autographs, because he was too young to manage that kind of attention.

The nerve of the man, as if Harry relished on the fame… fame given by his deceased parents! By the end of the month he already _loathed_ him in such manner that would make the relationship with Snape seem 'friendly'.

On short, he was an inch away from cursing him.

"It would be simple" Harry said once as they ran away from the defense class "I wouldn't even leave a mess"

"Harry Potter you are _not _going to curse our Defense teacher" Hermione berated him.

Unluckily for him, Ginny had been on earshot and had demanded him to tell her his reasons. Things got messy during the argument, as he had imagined it would go when he heard the sweet little voice of the youngest Weasley. Even the twins cringed when Ginny got angry and her temper was as Percy had put it – '_It's just like mum's…. if you don't stop it soon, it just won't stop - ._Harry knew someone in the skies hated him _a lot_, and he was being tortured by pompous teachers and mad red head girls.

It frustrated him to no end but there was nothing he could do.

On other topic, training was going tremendously, which took his mind of from Ginny and Lockhart.

Since the material in second year was simple, they tried to spend most of their free time in their 'cave', not doing homework like most of the students did. In a certain way it _was _studying, so it didn't matter that much. Homework was rather simple and since they were holding back, they weren't too concerned.

During the following month Harry had started sparring with Hermione while using their heavy-weight spelled clothes. And of top of that, when they got used to the weight, both of them added a plate mail set that they had found on the armory. The sets were like pulled out from the stories of King Arthur and told them the first time they went out that they looked as small medieval knights.

Draco wasn't about to be bested in something without putting up a fight and so he started training with a double bladed axe and a set of armor of his own. The axe was magnificent, made of goblin steel. Its hilt was painted by magic in deep black as the night, and the blade's edges were incredibly sharp, and could cut through stone as if it were butter. The entire length of the axe was greater than his height, so the blades of the axe stood a good ten inches away from his head. From the moment he picked up, blue and silver sparks surrounded the axe from the ground to the top and red runes appeared on the hilt.

Rob read them out loud.

'_Draar an khruur ghec okaalkec. __A dech lhorthaan dec'_

"Do you understand them?" Hermione said

"It is in Gobbledegook" Rob said "I really don't know what it means"

"What was that anyway?" Ron asked

"It felt… it felt like when I got my wand for the first time" Draco said.

"Is it a magic axe?" Hermione asked.

Draco answered her by levitating a large boulder by pointing his axe at it.

"It's even more powerful than my wand… but I feel tired now…"

"Maybe it 'pulls' more magic than your wand when you are using it" Hermione said "It could be useful for more powerful spells, and you could use them against the dark wizards who use staves too! You just need to get used to it"

Draco smirked as he inspected the axe. He looked like a child with a new toy, and in a sense he was.

At first the armors were too large to fit them, but were suddenly shrunk. A voice had reverberated throughout the hall when they picked them.

"These were battle armors of old, and will adapt to your bodies as they grow. Use them well, young ones"

Neither Rob nor Ron picked any armor, saying that they were too uncomfortable. However Harry frowned when he saw Draco's choice, a black armor as the hilt of his axe.

"Why the evil wizard look?" he asked him "Should we be worrying?"

"Not at all mate" he said smirking "I just like this color, and it matches the kind of magic I learned last year"

"What do you mean?" Hermione said crossing her arms.

"Don't put that faces" he said rolling his eyes "I thought you would know that dark doesn't equal evil right? It's how the wizard uses his magic what defines him."

"Too true" Rob said "Granddad says that all the time, or something along those lines. Although he really doesn't like dark magic or anything related to it."

Ron had ultimately chosen for a simple, medieval looking sword for practicing with Draco. However Rob's choice was the only one who had gotten another kind of weapon. The first time he took out his staff Draco had smirked since it was his turn to train with Rob. It was a plain and simple brown staff, made probably out of bronze. After watching what his axe could do, Draco probably had thought that he would cut the staff in half.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Ron had stopped whatever he was doing and Hermione and Harry broke their exercises just to watch how the match would go. Harry just knew Robert wouldn't be beaten easily. Draco was still trying to get used to the axe's weight, and could barely swing it and Robert's staff did not look too heavy. However a well-aimed swing from Draco could end the match on the Slytherin's favor.

As the two of them bowed in salute between each other, Draco sent a single blow sideways. The axe flew directly towards Robert's side but the headmaster's son just smirked and struck the ground with his staff and held it with his two hands placing it in the path of the axe.

"_Ondo: Quem Wandil"_

Just before the axe hit, Robert staff glowed in a mix of yellow and blue light and the heavy weapon from the Slytherin was stopped in mid swing. Robert barely seemed to be making any effort. Draco was befuddled and he frowned as he raised his axe once again.

"Wondering what did I do?" said Rob smirking as he held the staff with one hand, behind his back.

"Some kind of elemental magic" Draco said still confused "But I thought you used lightning and air."

"And Water" Ron yelled from considerable distance away. He didn't want to be anywhere near _that _match, that axe did look very dangerous "Are you sure it is safe for you to be using that bloody thing? It's huge."

"Must be compensating for another thing" Harry said leaning his elbow on Ron's shoulder. Not a second later, Harry had to dodge a red looking curse, and saw Draco pointing his axe at him. He had been so caught on dodging that he didn't realize that his Slytherin friend has done the same kind of spell that the vampire had used just a few weeks before.

"Did you see that!" shrieked Hermione "A wide effect spell! Draco how did you do that?"

Draco seemed to contemplate his answer, inspecting his weapon.

"I just though tried to use the _Stupefy_ hex" Draco said looking from his axe and then towards Robert "Let's see what this baby can do"

Just when he had raised his axe again and Robert had started muttering something under his breath, they were stopped by a beeping sound coming apparently out of nowhere.

"Time to go" said Hermione "Guess we have to postpone this"

"But…"

"But nothing Draco" she said glaring at him. Hermione could be really scary, in a really do-not-argue-with-me-or-else way. Draco just looked down and started muttering incoherently and walked with the rest towards the changing rooms.

"Have you found something about the Valari, Draco" Rob asked as they walked back in disillusionment charms to the castle. Even the beast of the forest had gotten accustomed to the five children walking on the early hours of the day.

At Robert's question, Draco's face darkened. Not that anyone could notice.

"There is something weird going on" Draco said "There are people coming in and out from the common room at unusual times. But when I try to follow they vanish. I think they are using some kind of secret passageway, but I can't be really sure."

"We'll figure something out" Harry interrupted, as they reached the entrance hall and Draco split up towards the Slytherin dorms.

"Have you two heard any more voices?" Hermione asked as they reached the fat lady portrait.

"Not really" Harry said a little bit troubled. As far as he knew, hearing voices was a bad sign even in the wizarding world. "_Lion's Pride"_ he added when the fat lady asked the password.

"_What_ are you doing so early outside?" asked a voice just as they stepped in.

"Oh good morning to you to Ginny" Harry said, rolling his eyes at the glares that the redhead was sending him. "You know, this is getting really old, why do you insist on shouting at us every time you see us?"

His three companions sighed at the upcoming argument.

"You just couldn't keep your mouth shut" Ron whispered shaking his head.

"Did you say something brother?" Ginny said, a twitch in her eyes announcing the tantrum that would follow.

"Nothing, nothing Ginny" he said quickly in his attempt of avoiding her rage.

"Good" she said as she turned back to Harry "I know you are up to something you four… why else would you be up so early in the morning. It is a _fact_ that my brother does not wake up early, not even if the entire castle was burning."

"Merlin Ginny" a voice said from behind her, and a half-sleep Luna was walking weirdly, in zigzags towards them "Excuse her, she just woke up and she's got a Raging Nimblerbobbling in her ear today"

"I think she's got another thing in another…"

"Don't you dare end that comment Robert" said Hermione "But his right Ginny why are you acting this way"

"Cause I know you're _lying_" Ginny said accusingly.

Something about how she mouthed the last word startled him. It was said in a strangely eerie, yet familiar way. He couldn't place it, but he just knew something was going on with her.

"Come on Ginny" Harry said "I thought we had agreed that everything was good between all of us" he added pointing to everyone.

"We did no such thing" she shrieked.

"Yeah we didn't…"

"Shut up Ron you are not helping!" Rob interjected.

"But"

"But nothing!" Hermione added as well.

"I swear this is a plot against me" Ron said raising his arms upwards and walking to their dorm "I'll get your stuff; you deal with my evil sister and her trusted lackey the terrifying Luna Lovegood!"

"Why you!" Ginny yelled but her brother was already running away "Urgh! That lousy git!"

Harry snickered at her antics and noticed she looked pretty even when she was angry.

'_Wait what? Where did that come from?' _Harry thought and he shook his head to get rid of that trail of thoughts.

"What are you laughing at Potter?" she said glaring daggers at him.

"Nothing, never mind" he said as he grabbed his bag when Ron got back. Hermione, always thinking ahead, had already gotten hers _before_ they went to the 'Cave'. Together the four of them bolted leaving behind a huffing Ginny and an annoyed Luna.

"Girls, I'll never understand them" Harry said as they walked to the great hall. Unfortunately what they found when they rounded the corner to get to a shortcut, was unlike anything they expected.

A black cloaked man was holding a vial, a potion glowing in an eerie neon green color, with a needle on its cork. The wizard's face was hidden from sight and his free hand grabbing a scared fourth year Ravenclaw girl by the neck. The girl was clearly gasping for breath and unsuccessfully trying to free herself.

Next to them, two other cloaked wizards were pointing their wands at her, and were oblivious to the four Gryffindors that had stumbled upon them.

This time, said children were ready, and they didn't hesitate to jump to help the older Ravenclaw.

'_Treksimos'_ Harry muttered. The world froze around him, and the feeling of running a thousand miles per second dawned upon him. Next to him, he saw a red spell already flying in slow motion towards the attackers. He figured out Hermione had launched a _Stupefy_ in hope to catch one of them.

In the blink of an eye, he was holding _Xalasmos _on his left hand, his wand in the other. That very moment a memory returned to him and he smirked as he ran at an impossible speed, catching on with Hermione's red spell, and impaled the sword on the rock ground just in the middle of the three cloaked wizards.

"_Astraph!"_

As the world sped up once again; he saw the red beam hit his target, specifically the one with the vial on his hand. Harry felt a jolt going down from his sword and an electric field surrounded him, hitting the three unsuspecting attackers. In that very moment a yellow hex struck the attacker on Harry's right and the only one left on his feet was because the ground below him had suddenly rose and trapped the wizard and immobilized him from his knees down.

Harry saw the vial flying after the stunned one had dropped it and the electric field had loosened his hand. Harry couldn't suppress a gasp as he saw he was going to be late for catching it before it broke down, but just in the right moment, the vial stopped in mid-air, flying to the outstretched hand of Hermione.

"And that's how it's done" said Ron smirking as his three friends ran towards the fallen attackers.

Hermione quickly leaned down to check upon the fallen Ravenclaw, now unconscious on the floor, while Rob put the vial inside his pocket and Harry kneeled on one leg to unmask the cloaked wizards. He was pretty sure that they were under Valari's orders, but they needed actual proof to take them to the authorities. Otherwise anyone would think that they were making everything up.

"Ha! They will think twice to do that again" Ron said as he rolled another one of the attackers "Now time to see your ugly face."

A crash sounded throughout the hall and black smoke covered everything. Harry felt as if he was choking and dropped to the ground. A loud thud was heard and a gush was heard, a sound he knew too well. But by the time he reacted, the smoke was cleared. Robert was helping Hermione get up while Ron looked around; however, the three black cloaked wizards had disappeared.

"A portkey, you reckon?" Ron said to no one in particular.

"Probably" Harry said as he looked around "We should leave, someone ought to have heard that. Do you have the vial?"

"They didn't take it" Hermione answered "We should check it on the cave"

"Should we take her to Pomfrey?" asked Rob as he leaned down towards the Ravenclaw girl and put an arm on his shoulder.

"Probably" Harry said "We should tell her that we found her like that, unconscious on the floor"

"Fine, lead the way" Rob said.

"I'll take the rear, in case they decide to come back" Ron said "Maybe one of us should disillusion just in case"

"Good idea, mate!" Harry commended "Hermione, it should be you. Everyone, wands drawn, we should be extra careful. I will take point, and we cover the girl. Rob disillusions her too."

"Sir, yes sir" Rob mocked "No really you sounded like a general giving orders there"

Harry had a twinge of blush in his cheeks after he said that.

"But it was perfect" Hermione beamed at him "None of us could've done it better"

"Get moving then" Harry said smiling from ear to ear.

The odd group walked as fast as Rob could, since he was carrying the girl. By the time they reached half of the way towards the infirmary, the headmaster's grandson realized they could actually levitate the girl and slapped himself on the forehead. After that, Hermione stayed invisible while Harry and Rob walked side by side, with Ron a few steps behind.

"What is the meaning of this?" Pomfrey bellowed "What is wrong with Miss Boot?"

"She was like that when we found her" Harry explained "We didn't know what to do with her so we brought her to you"

"The headmaster should know about this, I'll go fetch him" said Pomfrey as she made sure the Ravenclaw girl was not seriously injured.

"May we leave?" Hermione asked "We have Transfiguration shortly and I really don't want to get Professor McGonagall angry with me."

"Hermione, there is no way you could get McGonagall angry" Ron said rolling his eyes "She practically adores the ground you walk on. If you did better on her class she would probably put an altar for you."

Hermione blushed profusely and quietly said something that sounded like '_I'm not that good at…'_

"Yes you are Hermione" Harry interrupted her.

"And if someone says otherwise they obviously haven't seen you change a cat into a rock and back again without breaking a sweat"

"Enough children" Madame Pomfrey demanded, since they had apparently forgotten about her "Go to your classes now."

* * *

Several weeks passed, and the quintet had tried everything to reveal what the Vextral contained – short of asking Snape – but they were quickly running out of excuses not to ask the potions master for his help. Draco, their best at potions, had already identified most of the ingredients, but there was just one key element that held all the ingredients together and without it, the potions would be unstable most likely to blow up.

By the third week, they had stopped their research altogether and focused on their training. They had several close calls regarding Ginny and Luna. The pair were adamant in finding out where they were going so early in the morning, but the four Gryffindors were extremely careful not to go out or in without the disillusionment charms.

Soon they found themselves on Halloween's eve, after another terrible potions class, on their way to the common room.

"Ginny's skepticism has reached a whole new level" said Harry absent-mindedly "I mean she can't even _see _me without getting angry". The last comment had a bit of sadness that didn't go unnoticed by the rest of them, but no one wanted to elaborate.

"She's persistent" Ron said "like my mother, and she has her temper as well"

They reached the great hall, which was decorated exceptionally - as always – for the occasion, Pumpkin heads glowing eerily, bats flying in circles and ghosts floating constantly, much more than usual.

As soon as the foursome entered, many eyes were fixed on them. It seemed that the news of the Ravenclaw girl had flown and rumors had gotten incredibly unreal. A third year hufflepuff had apparently overhead the conversation between Pomfrey and the 'Golden children' and the story had been altered in at least seven different versions.

They had already got used to the stares and the murmurs.

"I really understand why you don't like your fame Harry" Ron sad rolling his eyes at how obvious the whispers were.

"Gives you a whole new perspective on the whole boy-who-lived issue right?" Rob said shrugging "At least two of the versions blame _us_ for Boot's attack"

"I thought it was four" Hermione added "But who's counting? By the way, don't drink from your goblet's, I saw Ginny talking to the twins earlier. They had their evil smiles on, and they are sitting too close to the only free spots."

"There were no spells on the doors or any of the hallways we have come true, so it _is_ possibly the drinks" Harry said. He had gotten pretty good at 'feeling' magic. It was similar to what happened when he activated his eyes powers or the way that Rob's elemental field could detect anything on the surroundings. It had something to do with the fact that he had started to do wandless or sword magic, whereas wand spells were easy and methodical, the latter were more _intuitive –_ not relying in movements like wands did - but ultimately still relied on the incantations.

"Could be some truth serum" Rob commented "She's so sure that we are lying"

Hermione quickly casted a modified _confundus_ charm. Harry was always surprised how she could mix two spells into one to give them an added effect. Essentially the spell would prevent anyone to hearing their conversation while drawing attention away from the fact they couldn't be heard.

"_Muffliatos exus confundo"_

"You don't think they would really have Veritaserum, right?" Ron asked as he vanished the contents of his drink, only to having it instantly refilled.

"Perhaps another kind of serum, or a compulsion potion" Harry said.

"Compulsion wouldn't guarantee that we would tell them the truth" Rob interjected "If anything I think it will provoke us to lie even more"

"True, mate" Ron said grabbing large quantities of food "What? I'm a growing boy on a special diet."

Hermione just shrugged his shoulders.

"We do need the calories" Harry said "You said so, Hermione"

"I know" she said pouting "It's just unfair that boys get to eat much more than girls"

Harry could tell that Ginny was eyeing them from the other side of the table expectantly, but he merely shook his head, vanished his pumpkin juice before refilling it and took a bite of his food.

The red head girl suddenly stood up, and hurriedly left the great hall. Luna had watched her friend all the way, completely confused by her behavior. She turned and looked at them, as if searching for an answer, but the 'Golden children' were just as surprised as she was.

Half an hour later, they decided to call it a night and left the great hall, but the scene they found froze them on the spot. For their good luck, most of the students had decided to leave the great hall at that same moment.

Right on the middle of the entrance hall, the figure of Filch's cat stood unmoving, petrified on a puddle of water, and on the wall opposite of the great hall's door a message was written in a red liquid that couldn't be anything but blood.

'_The Chamber of the Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir beware'_

The hall was immediately bustling with curious students, and the prefects struggled to bring order. It was until the booming voice of Dumbledore was heard, that the chatter stopped and a way was made for the headmaster to reach the scene, followed closely by the professors. Dumbledore's eyes lost the twinkle for a brief moment as he examined the cat's body.

"Prefects" he said without looking away from Mrs. Norris "Take all the students to their common rooms; a member of the staff will be escorting you. I want NO ONE wandering, is that clear?"

The glance he sent towards his grandson and his friends was enough to make Rob look down to the floor uneasily. Harry however caught a glimpse of Valari and other Slytherins. Even they looked puzzled – curious - but puzzled. Varenkov had a frown on her face as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Draco risked a glance towards the 'Golden Children' and shook his head in disbelief. His stare was one of confusion and hurriedly mouthed the word 'tomorrow'.

Hogwarts just got another problem.

* * *

"Slytherin's heir?" Harry mused out loud "Come on you have got to be kidding."

"I most certainly am not" Draco said seriously "The Valaris held a meeting on the common room. For what I could get out of it was that none of them had petrified Filch's cat and they needed to know who the heir was as soon as possible"

"And there's a beast inside the chamber?" asked Hermione already looking in the magical beast part of the book of magic. "Do you have any idea what could it be?"

"Wouldn't it be some kind of snake?"

Harry and Rob instantly looked up from their books with questioning looks on their faces. Draco looked thoughtful as he rested his fist on his mouth.

"I guess you're right Ron" Draco responded "It makes very much sense"

"Well that would explain many things" Robert said looking at Harry.

"Yep, many things"

Ron, Hermione and Draco looked at them confused as what they were talking about, and silently demanded for an answer.

"Well, do you remember we told you Rob and I met earlier on our first year, before we started Hogwarts?" Harry asked, and they urged him to continue "It was in the zoo, on Dudley's birthday."

"And it was an out day in the orphanage… before it was…"

"Anyways" Harry interrupted, trying to distract Rob from those memories "We were both kind of outcasts and we started talking. Then Dudley and his friend went into the reptilian wing of the Zoo… and we followed"

"What are you trying to say" Draco said, eyes open in shock "Are you…"

"There was a boa constrictor" Harry continued his story "It… _talked_ to us"

Hermione gasped and covered her mouth, as Ron cursed and ran a hand over his head nervously. Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Only to you two… are you sure you're not related?" Draco asked.

"I really don't know" said Harry really confused as he looked at Rob. They _were_ very similar, and many things happened to the two of them.

Maybe… maybe it wasn't a coincidence.

"Why?" Rob asked "What's wrong with speaking to snakes"

"Parselmouths…. are really frowned upon, related to dark wizards mostly" Ron explained.

"Voldemort was one" Draco announced "As was Slytherin, do you get where I am going?"

"People are going to think we're the heir if they realize we can speak to snakes" Harry stated before sighing "So, we really need to keep that a secret."

"Oh my god" said Hermione as she looked up from the book with a terrified look on her face "look at this."

The brunette raised the book and showed them a moving picture. It was a humongous, frightening snake. In the image a small figure portrayed its size against a man, which was many times smaller than the snake. The monster had many teeth, unlike any normal snakes that merely have two large fangs. But the most unnerving aspect was its yellow, deadly looking eyes. Its black slits moved on the image, looking at their faces, sending shivers down their spines.

"A basilisk" Hermione stated "The king of all snakes. It can grow many feet and it's as big as a dragon. They can live centuries and its eyes kill on sight. The poison it's one of the deadliest in all the world and it's practically impossible to beat down. Its skin is thick and protects it from spells. This is Slytherin's monster, the one that Binns spoke about."

"But why wasn't Mrs. Norris killed?" asked Ron.

"The cat looked at the eyes in the reflection of water" Rob said "Remember? The bathroom was flooded; Myrtle was throwing a tantrum earlier. Mrs. Norris must have seen it on the floor."

"And how do we kill it?"

"Roosters" Harry said, reading the description "The cry of a rooster can kill it"

"What?" Ron exclaimed "The second most terrifying creature in the whole world can be killed with a _rooster?_"

"Hard to believe" Harry said "But that's what the book says… I think I saw some on Hagrid's hut"

"We still have to look for the Chamber" said Draco….

"Wait" Rob said "Remember the first time you heard it? It led us to the bathroom"

"Myrtle's bathroom to be precise" Hermione said, and just then she gasped.

"That's where it is!" they all said in unison.

* * *

It was a cold night of November; the hallways of the majestic castle remained silent. The only sounds were the occasional creaking of a door or the rumbling of one of the moving stairways. Moonlight entered the deserted path and a single figure walked hurriedly. His steps were cautious. A wand was held tightly on his right hand as he ran the other through his blonde hair.

"Bloody nighwatch" muttered the man "This is not what I signed for when Dumbledore interviewed me. I'm Gilderoy Lockhart for Merlin! I should be having my beauty sleep."

A rumbling sound echoed in the hallway followed by a faint shriek. The man jumped and aimed his wand forward, trembling slightly.

"Who's there?" he asked to no one apparently and he got an eerie silence as an answer.

The man passed the opened door that led to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and continued on his way.

"That man is so… dumb" said a disembodied voice, as the door opened and closed once again"

"Very eloquent Hermione" another voice was heard "We're here, are you sure you heard it again?"

"I am" yet another voice said. In that moment five children appeared out of thin air, already inside the malfunctioning bathroom. "We need to start looking"

"Was someone…."

"Creevey was petrified. He is the fourth one since Halloween" Harry announced "Luckily he saw the basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick. We must stop it before someone dies. Even the Valari are laying low."

"Varenkov is asking the strangest questions too" Draco said "I think she actually knows what the monster is, but she is asking as if she wanted to _help_ the heir."

"That girl is really, really creepy" Harry said out loud.

"On other topic… all the roosters were killed yesterday" Ron told them "The heir is taking precautions"

"So where could the entrance be?" Rob wondered out loud "I suppose Myrtle wouldn't know"

"Let's not ask her please" Hermione begged "There must some sign or marking of a kind."

"Look for anything with snakes" Draco told them "I do wonder why Slytherin would place the entrance to his private chamber on a girl's bathroom of all places?"

"Not the best time to think of that kind of stuff" Hermione said rolling her eyes as she searched everywhere "Maybe it is in a bathroom stall with a hidden passageway?"

"Or on one of the faucets" Harry said smirking when he noticed the Snake figurine "Now what?"

"A parseltongue password I suppose" Draco said taking out his wand "We better be ready, there's no telling if the heir is down there"

"Very well" Harry said but looked at his friends nervously "I have never spoken Parseltongue _on purpose_ before, you know?"

"Me neither" Rob admitted "The only difference was that we were in front of the snake on the zoo"

"Then picture one on your head" Hermione said "Maybe that way…"

"Ok, let's try this"

"Wait" Ron said "Before we go in, I finally completed my project, it will help us in case we split up or something, and it's pretty useful"

Out of his cloak, Ron pulled five black little objects with an odd shape and small holes drilled on a square pattern, and gave each one to them.

"You put them on your ears" Ron said.

Hermione examined them and gave him a completely surprised look while the others looked confused.

"Are these" she said pointing to the small dark object "What I think they are?" Hermione said astonished "I mean, did you really?"

"I haven't named them" said Ron "But I guess you could call them communicators"

"How do they work?" Harry said placing his on his right ear. He didn't even notice it had disappeared the next second.

"Just tap it"

"I don't…" Harry had started, but he recoiled when a screech filled all their ears and they all covered their ears.

"LOWER THE VOLUME" Ron yelled with his face crunched in pain.

"WHAT?"

"LOWER THAT THING DOWN IT'S TOO LOUD" Hermione screamed.

"DON'T YELL AT ME" Draco demanded

"BLIMEY JUST TAP IT AND SAY 'LOW VOLUME' PLEASE" Ron managed to say,

"LOW VOLUME" They all said at the same time.

After heavily breathing for a few seconds the five teenagers stood up and got the dust of their cloaks.

"Try it now" Ron said clearly.

"Merlin's beard!" Draco said "I can hear you on my head! _Wicked_!"

"You outdid yourself mate!" Rob said clapping him on the back "These are really incredible"

"It was really thoughtful and smart of you Ron" Hermione said beaming at him.

It was only at the bushy haired girl's comment that Ron blushed profusely, but hid it quickly. Of course Rob, Harry and Draco saw it immediately, and smirked at him.

"I'm thinking of adding a translation spell, but I didn't have enough time before" Ron said scratching the back of his head.

"Maybe I can help you with that" Hermione said smiling "And one for speech too"

"I'd like that" said Ron, blushing even more.

"People focus!" Rob said rolling his eyes. The headmaster's grandson had his wand out and pointed to the lavatory "Would you do the honor Harry?"

"It will be my pleasure" He said, taking out his wand as well.

"_Open"_

A loud rumbling sound started, shaking the entire bathroom. The lavatory began moving backwards revealing an obscured entrance on the ground.

"Did any of you understand that?" Hermione asked "Cause I just got some hissing"

"Nope" Draco said

"Not me" Ron added.

"Really?" Rob asked "I guess you were right, we're both Parselmouths. He said 'Open'. Too easy of a password if you ask me"

"Not really" Hermione countered "Parselmouths are really rare, even in the Magic world. Even if someone guessed the password, it would be pretty hard to get the entrance open."

"There's no stairs" Rob said crossing his arms "Let me try something else"

'_Stairway'_ he hissed, as he focused on a mental picture of a snake.

"I did get that" Harry said as a stone stair started moving in a circular way towards the bottom. "Be ready, turn on the communicators"

The entire tunnel was dark and humid, a few drops of water falling every now and then. It reminded Harry of a muggle horror movie that he had seen on the T.V. on one of the occasions the Dursley's didn't send him to the cupboard.

"We should disillusion" Rob whispered, and thanks to the communicators, the rest heard him clearly "Just in case."

"And remember to close your eyes if either me or Rob tell you" Harry said "Rob stay in the back."

"Sure" they all said.

"Got it"

Harry did not hesitate and summoned _Xalasmos_. The sword appeared in his hand in a fickle of electricity, flourishing as it disappeared. He distinctly head the ringing sound of Hermione's sword and the fain thud of Draco's Axe. For what seemed an eternity, they walked the steps towards the darkness. The walls were carved with strange signs, in old languages, various pictures adorned, as if telling legends of old.

He got distracted by one in particular, in which two men and two women were fighting all kinds of dark creatures. As they got to the bottom, the story continued, the men slaying dragons and monsters side by side as the two women created marvelous enchantments that dealt with all their enemies. Then, the pictures showed a castle that could only be Hogwarts and the four wizards helping various children intently listening to their lectures. Then one of them got separated and a shadow appeared, bringing darkness to the castle. It began whispering to the three other friends, and soon they were misled to believe that their friend had betrayed them. When the fourth friend came back, one of the friends confronted him, sword in hand. His friend tried to stop him, trying not to fight back. But the first man did not stop, and the two women did not interfere. So it was that the fourth man was casted out, not without leaving a secret behind, a newborn snake, symbol of his house, which would serve the castle and its students. The last image portrayed a snake coiled in front of the castle, facing the shadows, guarding its master's last home.

The five children suddenly felt really sad. If the story was true, Salazar Slytherin, one of the founders of Hogwarts, was tricked and casted out.

"Could it mean that every conception about Slytherin is false?" Harry asked out loud "Could Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff have been deceived by a dark wizard?"

"Maybe…" Hermione said "Maybe it was the Lord Snakes."

"But Slytherin's symbols was a snake" Ron argued

"It doesn't mean anything" Draco replied "The Lord Snakes could've used it to corrupt the other founders. Slytherin's ideas could have been misunderstood and twisted with the years, everything starting with the shadow's treachery."

"Perhaps" Rob said "But sadly we'll never know"

"The only thing we can do is to try to amend the ties of the four houses" Harry said "But we need to stop the so called heir of Slytherin."

The stairs ended in a dark antechamber, with the walls made out of stone, and various pipes and leading many ways. The five teenagers found an empty carcass, an empty shredded skin that had once been the actual Basilisk.

"It's huge" Ron said "Bloody hell, how are we going to kill it."

"Maybe we don't need to" Robert said "Any way, we need to be careful."

On the end of the entrance hall, was a circular stone door, with many snakes carved into it.

"_Open" _Harry hissed once again.

The stone snakes came alive and began hissing as they moved around the door, which slid sideways and revealed the entrance to the Chamber of the Secrets.

**A/N: Hey here's the new chapter! Please R&R! I haven't had much time because of work and this is the fastest I could finish it, I hope you like it! What do you think, am I moving the timeline too fast?**


	10. The Shadow Seal

**Chapter 10: The Shadow Seal**

The room was vast, only lit by scattered torches on either side of the hallway, damp and cold. The air felt heavy in Harry's lungs, and it had a slight stench that reminded him of something that has been kept locked away way too long, rotten and corrupted with the years. The hall stretched possibly more than a hundred feet and the ceiling reached far, farther than their eyes could see. Dozens of statues decorated the walls, portraying wizards and warriors of olds, forever guarding the Founder's secret hideout.

It felt out of place, the five young faces walking the forgotten stone floor as they approached the main room, which was lit in an eerie green light. The only evidence of their arrival was the faint sound of light steps, since they had long vanished into thin air.

A lone figure stood in the large circular room, in front of a gigantic statue of a bearded wizard, of the likes of Merlin and Dumbledore. The figure was covered from face to floor in a dark cloak and stood straight, facing the statue as it held some sort of book on one hand and a wand in the other.

"The heir" Draco muttered, sounding awed.

"Be ready everyone" Harry said, the _communicators_ dispatching the message to the rest of them "Stun him on the count of three."

Whether his friends acknowledged him, he did not know, but his trust would not falter. Silently they surrounded the cloaked figure, which was muttering to itself.

"One… two…"

But the three never came, as the figure spun and aimed its wand directly at where Harry was standing. A sick yellow spell flew towards him forcing Harry to crouch, barely missing it.

"_Tinechor!" _he heard another voice rising above the silence as it blocked a purple curse reaching to his right. A red flash then flew from his left toward the figure, who easily blocked it with a flick of his wand.

Harry wasted no time and flourished _Xalasmos_ and with a jolt of electricity reappeared, getting rid of the disillusionment charm. He lunged towards the heir slicing his sword downwards. As he struck the floor he could see the heir moving at an amazing speed as he dodged more spells coming from every side.

"Who are you?" the heir bellowed with a dehumanized voice as he deflected several more spells sent towards him "How did five _children_ came to learn to fight this way?"

The fight came to a halt as the rest of them reappeared, still surrounding the heir. Draco had taken a place behind Ron as he raised his axe, preparing to deliver another blow and Hermione wielded sword and wand as Harry did. Robert rested his staff on the floor with his right hand and his wand in the other and Harry noticed he had his eyes closed, muttering to himself.

Adrenaline started pumping through his body.

'_What is he doing?'_ he yelled inside his head.

Whatever Robert was doing, Harry knew he needed to distract the heir.

"You cannot be older than thirteen" the heir said "How dare you challenge the heir of Slytherin"

"We have come to stop you" Harry said as he aimed wand and sword at the cloaked figure "Your days of hurting muggleborns are over"

"Ah I know you boy" the heir said "You're Harry Potter, the _boy who lived_" he added spitefully.

"Got it right in one" Harry said "Now why don't you take the hood off so we can see your ugly face before we beat you!"

The heir merely chuckled.

"It shall be fun to watch _your_ faces" the heir said, and raised one hand towards his hood. As the cloth slowly fell down, none of them could contain their gasps at the face of the heir. Auburn hair fell over a soft pale face with delicate features. Her lips were forming a smirk but her eyes had lost their hazel chocolate color for a gruesome glowing red.

"Ginny?" Harry said astonished, unknowingly lowering wand and sword "How… are you"

"She is not herself" Draco interrupted scowling "She's being possessed"

"Very clever" she said in a disembodied voice as she turned to see the blonde Slytherin "You are a Malfoy"

"You know my name" he said glaring "Why don't you tell yours"

"What are you doing with mudbloods and traitors Malfoy" she snapped "Has your family gone soft…"

Her comment stopped abruptly and she leaned down and held her throat as if she was gasping for air. She looked around frantically and looked directly at Harry. Her eyes suddenly lost the red gleam and shifted to the soft hazel.

"Please" she whispered "Help me… Tom… Dia…"

And as fast as it had left, her eyes turned red once again.

"Stupid girl" she said in a hoarse voice "She will be dead eventually, and I will have my body back."

"Who are you?" Ron yelled as Hermione held him back, stopping him from hurting Ginny "She's my sister leave her alone!"

"She's _mine_ now" she snarled "And after i get my body back, I will destroy you. Even my so called defeater."

Harry gasped.

'_No, it can't be'_ he thought.

"I couldn't believe it when the angry little girl told me how a _baby_ had beaten the most powerful wizard in all times"

"I haven't beaten Merlin" Harry said trying to distract him "But thanks for the compliment, he was dead a lot time ago though"

"Silence!" she bellowed and threw several spells against Harry and blocked several more coming from both sides.

"We do not fear you" Hermione bellowed as she transfigured a statue of stone of a cloaked wizard that jumped towards the red head and held her strongly.

"What is this magic?" she bellowed "Who are you kids"

Ginny attempted to use her wand but it flew out of her hand with a disarming spell from Ron.

"So the Dark Lord Voldemort has been bested by five children" Draco mocked "I can't believe my father followed you"

"Your father?" Ginny asked "Are you Abraxa's son?"

Draco frowned as he leaned against his axe, still pointing his wand at the red head and looked at his friends.

"No I'm not" Draco said "And I think you haven't met my father yet, am I right? In fact you don't know what year it is, right?"

"Trivialities" the girl snarled.

"And how do you know that I defeated you as a baby" Harry asked confused

"When I was sixteen" the girl spoke, barely struggling to free herself from the stone statue holding her down "I discovered this chamber, an inheritance of the great Salazar Slytherin, who was betrayed by the other founders. Fools they were, driving him away instead of embracing his beliefs."

"But the story says otherwise" Draco replied.

"Imbeciles" she said "I don't care what you think… Anyways when I discovered this chamber, and the beast murdered the stupid mudblood, the school was about to be closed, and I couldn't let them. So I blamed someone else and got an special award for defending the school. The only one that did not believe me was Dumbledore. But I couldn't let the chamber's secret be forgotten. I made the diary so I could come back once again and unleash the beast."

Hermione grabbed the diary that had fallen during the fight and read the inscription on its cover.

"Tom M. Riddle" she said out loud "I know your name… you were a half-blood!"

"Incredible" Draco said "And you strive to get rid of everyone but the purebloods? I can't believe it! You are a fraud!"

"I hated that name" she whispered furiously "I tire of you…"

And before they could react, the girl hissed out loud, and only Rob and Harry understood what he was telling.

"_Speak to me Salazar, greatest of the Hogwarts Four"_

"_Stupefy!_" Harry yelled as he sent the red stunner against Ginny, who slumped in the statue's arms. A rumbling sound came from Slytherin's statue, as its mouth opened revealing a dark entrance.

"Prepare everyone" said Robert "Do not look at its eyes"

"And aim for the monster's eyes" Hermione called by the communicator "They should be their weak spot"

Loud hissing came from the entrance and the five younglings closed their eyes. Harry started breathing heavily. They were in serious trouble now, and he did not know what he could do. A loud thud was heard and a loud voice boomed in the chamber.

"_Master, you have called" _the monster hissed but once it laid its yellow eyes on the unconscious form of Ginny, her hissing became angry "_What is the meaning of this! Release her! I shall feast on your flesh!"_

"_Naur: Aikanaro!" _a voice bellowed, which he recognized as Robert's, and a roar came from his right as the temperature rose in the chamber.

"_My eyes!" _ the basilisk hissed "_You have blinded me, you will pay with your lives!"_

Harry opened his eyes and gasped at the sight in front of him. The beast was immense and the pictures on the books made no justice in face of the real creature. Its yellow eyes were burnt, As Robert stood next to him, staff in hand, with a determined look. The rest had opened their eyes as well and took both sides of them. Harry then took a step forward, a decision formed on his mind.

"_Listen to me, Lord of Snakes"_ Harry hissed in parseltongue _"We are here to stop you. You have failed in your mission"_

"_A speaker!" _the basilisk snarledlooking to the source of the voice. Harry was startled for a bit, but he stood defiantly still _"Why dare you attack my master, and why do you speak of the holy task that master Salazar bestowed upon me"_.

"_And what may I ask"_ Robert spoke this time in the snakes's language "_Was this assignment that Slytherin burdened you with"_

The snake seemed confused and pondering with the question. Robert tensed as he aimed his wand to the basilisk, and Harry recognized it was a good idea. Hermione and the rest followed suit shortly.

But the basilisk started flailing, and the five teenagers had to back down. The monster shook its head furiously.

"What is it doing?" asked Ron "What is it saying? I don't like this"

"It's saying nothing" Robert exclaimed taking another step back "Something is wrong"

"Look there's something in his head" Draco bellowed and pointed at the point where his jaw started.

Harry then realized he was right. There was a black, metal ring that surrounded the serpent's neck. Red runes were carved, glowing eerily in contrast to the black iron ring. Suddenly, the snake snapped and looked directly at Harry.

"_I smell blood"_ the snake hissed as its long tongue came out of its snout "_Let me kill you… let me feast in your flesh"_

"That is not good" Ron said "Attack it now, the ring is controlling it!"

"Seems you are in trouble" a voice said behind them, Ginny had woken up again, still controlled by Voldemort. "_Basilisk, I command you, kill them all"_

"Split up!" Harry bellowed "It can smell and hear us; that is how it knows where we are! Silence your steps"

He had no chance to say anything else cause at that very moment the snake rose up and he barely was able to jump away before the monster crashed at the very spot that he was occupying a second before.

"_Treksimos"_ he chanted, slowing the world around him once again. Harry jumped as the snake whipped its body against him, but this time he had literally seconds before the monster reached him.

A blue flash of a _Reducto_ struck at the ring at slow speed in his eyes, but it merely shook the basilisk. Harry managed to get to a safe distance before cancelling the speed spell.

He growled as the snake shook its head in annoyance.

"_Me'urra!" _bellowed Harry, raising his sword and swinging it forward "_Astraph!"_

A jolt of lightning traveled from the hilt and flew towards the basilisk and the gigantic snake withered and trembled as the electricity flowed through its body and the damp floor. Another voice rose in the chamber then the temperature rose instantly.

"_Naur: Aikanaro Anmegil!"_ Rob exclaimed and from his staff in both hands, a fire vortex sprung from the tip, roaring as it enveloped the basilisk.

Fire and Lightning swirled around the snake, as it trashed and struck the walls of the chamber. Rocks fell around them as the ceiling began falling down, and the basilisk fell to the ground, filled with water.

The five teenagers watched apprehensively as the fire diminished, not knowing if the monster was defeated. And just as they were starting to take the first steps, the monster rose once again, its skin burnt, but angrier than before. Neither Harry nor Rob understood anything the snake said as it was merely snarling in anger and pain.

"You just had to piss the bloody forty feet snake, didn't you?" Ron bellowed as he sent another _reducto._

"This is not the time to put blames, Weasley" Draco said as he aimed for the ring again, "_Sectusempra!"_

"This is not working!"

Laughter came from behind them at their predicament.

"You cannot kill the Basilisk" Ginny said in a mocking tone, unusually spiteful even for the redhead "I will have my body back, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. No one can help you here, not even that old meddlesome fool!"

"Dumbledore is the most amazing wizard I have ever seen" Harry said "You will never be at his level, no matter how many times you come back from death"

"My Grandfather is the only one you ever feared" Rob said, a sneer on his face, his eyes filled with barely contained rage. That caught the attention of the possessed girl.

"_Grandfather?" _she asked, concerned this time "You are a _Dumbledore?"_

"Robert Dumbledore at your service" he said eyeing the snake sideways as he mock bowed to the redhead.

"_How?"_ the girl asked, but her voice was lost with a deep hiss from the basilisk, that was about to strike once again, catching the five children off guard. The huge snake coiled in the ground and whipped its massive body to the ground.

"Damn" was the only thing they heard Ron say.

Rock and debris flew everywhere and Hermione and Ron landed with a faint thump on the ground, groaning while trying to get up, obviously hurt. Draco raised his axe and sent another Sectusempra, which merely shook the snake.

"Its hide, it's too thick" he said as he rolled on the ground and evaded the basilisk's attack. Things were getting out of hand. They had to stop the monster soon before something grave happened. Harry and Rob looked at each other and nodded.

Robert's electric blue eyes changed, and the Symbol of the book appeared in black instead of his pupils. Harry's, on the other hand, shone brightly in an amazing emerald green, around a black circle; his iris formed a triangle inscribed in another circle with three stripes traveling to the edge of the iris.

"Harry you have to trust me on this" Rob said exasperatedly "Do you see any weak points?"

Harry glanced upwards, as the snake attacked Draco, who was desperately trying to distract the monster. The whole room was lit in an eerie green light, covering all the walls. The monster itself was immersed in a red, thin cloud but over its neck a dark smoke wisp was rounding the ring. As the snake whipped its neck once again, Harry saw that the red cloud had a small hole.

"I see it" Harry said "But the hide its will protect it"

"Not with this" Rob said and left the staff on the floor, which curiously stood still without falling down, held by an invisible force. He then proceeded to place his hands around _Xalasmos_ and a rush of wind blew into the middle of the distance of both hands, a blue sphere glowing and Rob then thrust it into the blade.

"_Vilya: Maranwe en Megil!"_

The sword then glowed and Harry felt it tremble, barely containing the power. It felt as if a storm was raging around his sword.

"Hurry up you two!" Draco bellowed dodging once again the snake "I can't hold it anymore!"

"Hold on Harry" Rob said as he grabbed his staff again.

Harry felt his eyes widening and held the sword upward. He then heard Robert muttering something under his breath, his eyes fixed as he looked sideways to the snake.

"I'm going to hurl you to the head, be prepared!"

He barely saw Draco flying as the basilisk struck down once again. The snake then faced to the two remaining kids, and prepared to attack for one last time.

"_Ohrme!" _Rob bellowed

"_Treksimos!" _Harry said making the world slow as he felt his feet leave the ground in what must have been an incredible velocity.

By the time he looked forward the snake had begun its travel towards Robert.

Ron, Hermione and Draco had recovered and were watching in awe as Harry leapt to the snake with sword in both hands and his wand held tightly between them. Robert then thrust his staff again and sent a _Reducto_ towards the base of the snake's head¸ forcing it to recoil, and giving Harry an opening.

"_Astraph!"_

He impaled the sword and felt the hide give up against the tip of the blade, penetrating down. The snake let out a pained hiss, opening and closing its maws, helplessly trashing. Harry jumped down, leaving the sword behind and rolled in the ground as he felt the speed charm failing.

Harry took a few steps back, joining Draco and Rob, gasping for air. The basilisk whipped its body and slammed it against Slytherin's statue on the back of the chamber. The statue began crumbling under the strenuous force and slowly fell on the agonizing snake. Dust filled the chamber for a few minutes, only to be cleared by a quick whip of Robert's wand. On the middle of the room, the corpse had been covered entirely, except for the head, which was still impaled by the sword. The black ring started disintegrating, becoming black smoke, and the basilisk then turned into stone.

Harry sprinted frantically towards _Xalasmos,_ but by the time he reached it, it turned into dust, trailing in his hands as it crumbled.

"No!" Harry bellowed "_Xalasmos!_"

"It's gone Harry" Robert said as he put his hand on Harry's shoulder who was now kneeling down on top of the statue.

"Harry, Rob" Hermione said from below "We need to do something about Ginny"

"It was a gift from Cyrus" Harry muttered "And its gone now…"

"I know, mate" Rob answered "But you saved us all with it. The sword was that, just a sword. And I think Cyrus would be glad it was used to kill the mythical monster of the Chamber of the Secrets. Don't be sad because you lost something material; be happy that it wasn't one of us that you lost."

"You're right" Harry said, but couldn't help it to be sad as he descended the basilisk head and walked towards Ginny.

"So you have beaten the basilisk" she snarled angrily "It matters not: this girl will die and Lord Voldemort should walk once again".

"We have to do something!" Ron said "I can't let my sister die, what can we do?"

"It's inevitable!" Ginny said before laughing hysterically, as only a dark, evil wizard could manage.

"Not if I have a say in it" Draco said as he walked forward.

"Can you save her?" Rob asked with his arms crossed.

"I think so, yeah" Draco said, deep in thought.

The red headed girl seemed to panic and started trashing, but the transfigured statue had a firm grip on her arms. Draco's eyes met Ron's and merely nodded.

"We should cover our faces" Harry said and as the rest watched him in confusion he shrugged "So she doesn't know that it was us who helped her?"

"Let me, then" Hermione interjected, and with several flicks from her wand their cloaks sprouted hoods and when they hastily covered their faces.

"I don't know _exactly _what will happen" Draco said "But I trust my master's teachings and I think I can force the Dark Lord out"

"Then do it" Harry said.

Draco stepped in front of the girl; his face was not covered by the hood, and started muttering. Harry watched closely and gasped when the Slytherin's eyes turned completely pitch black as void pools of shadow. Draco reached then abruptly to Ginny's forehead, who started shaking terribly.

"_E__xilium__i__isto corpore__, __tenebras__et abeuntes__semper_"

A deep, chilling shriek filled the chamber of the secrets, unlike anything it had ever been heard in the ancient halls. It froze them, and as Draco took his hand away from the forehead of Ginny where it had been resting forcefully a dark sphere appeared and floated following Draco's hand movement.

"Bring me the diary" Draco said, a hoarse voice coming out of his mouth instead.

Harry reacted instantly and reached for it, and shakily put in in the ground next to the blonde boy.

"Be gone dark soul! Return to the hell you came from! _Lautumiae Anima"_

And then he forced the dark sphere to the diary and it instantly closed, as if sensing what had happened. Draco's eyes returned to their normal gray-silver and he let out a breath that he didn't know was holding.

"Is…I.. Is…" stuttered Ron "Is it gone?"

"There's only one way to tell" Draco said and gazed upon the unconscious form of Ginny "We need to wake her up – I think we should put our hoods up… and there's not telling if she could see everything, but just in case… You can free her too."

Harry put his hood up and they rounded the fallen girl and Hermione got rid of the transfigured statue. Her face was pale, but with a strong determination and a pleased look.

'_It must have taken quite a toll to do something like that'_ Harry supposed.

"_Ennervate_"

* * *

Slowly Ginny's eyelid started fluttering, and an anguished groan escaped her lips. Harry reached down on instinct and helped her sit down. She let out a gasp when she saw the hooded figure half-cradling her, a pair of pure emerald eyes gazing upon her, and she was terrified when she saw the lack of normal pupils – but a strange pattern instead, some sort of symbol.

She started whimpering and tried to free herself, but the hooded man – if it was a man. But the man held her strongly, yet with a care she had not felt before. It reminded her of her dad, of how he make her feel safe, but not quite the same.

"We are not here to harm you" the man said, his voice distorted and hoarse "You are safe now, the evil one has left"

Ginny sobbed in relief, unable to contain her cry, and held the man fiercely, silently thanking him. It took her several minutes, and she slowly released her savior, when she noticed that there were more hooded people surrounding them.

"Is… is" she said, her voice barely holding "Is Tom gone?"

"He is back in the diary" another one spoke, a deep, old voice "He will not hurt you anymore"

"Thank you" she whispered, barely audibly.

"Don't worry" another voice said gently "The important thing it's you are safe"

"The staff is coming" the second voice spoke "They will take you to the infirmary, but before you do that, you must tell them of the diary"

"No!" she cried, shaking his head and tears falling down her cheeks "I don't want to! I did so many bad things! I don't want to be expelled, _please_!"

"You are strong Ginny" the first voice said, managing to calm her down.

"Very strong" said another one of them, this one of a woman. She then leaned down and gently caressed her face "You did nothing wrong, and the headmaster will realize this as soon as he sees the name on the diary"

"And now we must leave before they get here" said the second man "Tell Dumbledore to destroy the diary."

The five cloaked figures turned away and walked towards the opposite side of the chamber.

"But wait!" Ginny exclaimed and tried to reach for the one who had spoken first "Who are you! And where are you going?"

"We…" the first man spoke, but paused and looked to his companions "We are no one, we just work to do what is right, and there's something else in this chamber. The diary won't affect you anymore, take it upstairs to Dumbledore."

Having said that, the five saviors walked towards the rubble that had once been the statue of Slytherin and vanished into thin air.

Ginny shook her head, trying to ignore the fact that no one could apparate out of Hogwarts. She slowly got up and went to pick up her wand, which had been forgotten in the fight. Her muscles were cramped and sore, and she was dizzy, million thoughts on her mind. The details of the fights were blurry, but she knew it had been incredible. She looked upon the diary and decided not to touch it.

And so, the girl walked up the stairs. The entire way felt endless, she had to lean several times against the wall, barely staying conscious. Several times she stopped, not even paying attention to the story carved in the stone walls. After what seemed an eternity she arrived at the wretched girl's lavatory and the entrance to the chamber on its own.

Frantic steps came from outside, and Ginny breathed out feeling her shoulders relax. The saviors – as she had started to call them – had been true to their word. A few seconds later she saw the face of Albus Dumbledore walk in, his wand raised and his blue eyes with a fierce determination. Behind him her head of house came in a several manner followed by Professors Snape, Flitwick and Lockhart.

"Professor…." she croaked out and levitated the diary towards him "The diary…"

But she couldn't continue before tears started falling down once again.

"Oh dear…." McGonagall gasped.

"Ms. Weasley" the headmaster demanded "What is the meaning of this?"

"Tom…" she muttered, feeling lightheaded "The diary… he forced me… possessed…strangers… saved me"

And that was the last thing she saw.

* * *

Harry watched apprehensively as Ginny climbed the stairs, staggering the entire way. He felt guilty for leaving her alone, but they just couldn't let anyone know a bunch of twelve year old kids – four of which were supposedly behind the average student. When the stone gate closed, Harry removed the disillusionment charm and gazed upon his friends.

"Nice _Guardian_ imitation there" Ron said "We seem to be projecting our inner Slytherin"

Harry shook his head, and approached the fallen corpse of the basilisk, followed by Rob and Draco. He kneeled down and picked up a shard of black metal, evidence of the ring that had been controlling the monster.

"Draco" Harry said "Do you have any idea what this is?"

"Not exactly" the blonde answered as he inspected it "Obviously it held dark magic, but I don't recognize it."

"Speaking about dark magic" Hermione interrupted.

"Hermione…" Draco said rolling his eyes.

"I'm not judging you" the muggleborn said "I just wanted to know what it was"

"Soul magic" the Slytherin said "It is not entirely dark, but the girl was getting his life sucked out her body, and _that _book was completely evil"

"_Pops_ will take care of it" Robert interrupted "This shard… look it has a rune here."

He then took out the Book of Magic from his satchel, lending the shard to Harry so he could research it.

"Look there's something back here!" Ron yelled from the top of the rubble of Slytherins statue.

"Wait for me Ron" Hermione called as she climbed towards Ron before both of them disappeared into the dark tunnel, steps echoing in the dark "There's no telling what we will find there, you shouldn't go alone."

"Those two can be really weird" Draco said as he, Harry and Rob searched for the meaning of the rune.

There were literally hundreds of languages that possessed magical properties. They came in all forms and from all parts of the world: Latin, welsh, Egyptian, Greek, Hindi, Nordic, were a few examples. But there were pure magic languages that had been forgotten. One of them was Parseltongue, the language of the snakes, first known to be spoken by Herpo the Foul, and ever since related to dark wizards. But said language paled on the face of the most evil language of them all – The black speech A single word could chill the heart of a man and terrify the bravest hero.

And it was written on the black shard.

"_Thark"_ Rob translated.

A chilling wind flew from nowhere, and the doom darkened for a second.

"Don't speak it!" Draco said as a chill creeping up his spine "It is cursed!"

"Sorry" Rob apologized seriously.

"It means, enclosure, like a trap or a prison" Harry read out loud.

"It's a seal" Draco muttered "A dark seal"

"Not A Dark seal" Rob said whispering with a frown on his face "It's _the_ Dark Seal"

"_Trapped you are, my will shall be done"_ Harry spoke gravely.

"Voldemort bound the Basilisk" Draco said.

"That's why it suddenly attacked" Rob commented "At first it was talking coherently, but the ring glowed and it started speaking about murder and death"

"Is there a way to destroy it?" Draco wondered "Without actually killing the victim"

"I think there might be way…"

"Hey! Guys!" the voice of Ron trailed inside the tunnel "You have got to see this! Come! Quickly!"

Robert closed the book and the three of them sprinted towards the darkened tunnel. It was a long and humid, looking like and old pipe, and wide enough that the basilisk could slide in. The smell however, was less damp, as if a window was open out to the fields. Soon they arrived into a circular room that was glowing green as the chamber had been. It was about twenty feet wide, and six greek styled columns supported the high ceiling. In the middle a circular pedestal stood, and on top a chest rested.

"Should we open it?" Ron asked Harry.

"There's no telling what kind of curses it might have" Hermione countered.

"Do you think Lord Moldyshorts thought someone will actually come here?" Robert asked in a mocking tone.

"Let's try something then" Harry said, aiming his wand at the chest "Put some shields, just in case, Hermione."

'_Alohomora'_ Harry muttered, pointing at the lock of the chest.

The hinges creaked and the cover opened by an invisible force, slowly. Apparently the chest did not have any more protections.

"Well, most would think that a basilisk would be enough to protect a treasure" said Draco shrugging.

"It almost was" Ron said trembling slightly.

Harry approached said treasure, which was not yet visible, but was emanating a white glow, almost calling them to pick it up. The five students leaned down but they did not dare to touch their prize, but gasped when they saw what it was. Harry lost no time and aiming his wand he levitated its contents.

"No way" Ron muttered intelligently, smiling from ear to ear.

"Check it for curses" Rob said.

Several spells later and having deemed the object safe, they were still gaping at their discovery. It was a hammer. It was _the _Hammer. The one that Dryl the dwarf had demanded them to bring back, as payment for his services. It was a masterpiece; the hilt had a broad handle, suitable for a dwarf's hand, bathed in gold and several Nordic runes carved on it. The rest of the mast was made of a white metal they had never seen and about three feet long. Just below the head of the hammer rested a gold ring ornament with more runes that glowed as the hammer floated, turning slowly, and allowing them to observe carefully. The head was made out of the same metal than the hilt, and a single blue rune glowed.

"Kenaz" Robert said "Rune of power, of light, of creation"

"It suits it well" Hermione agreed "It has no curses on it, you can grab it safely Harry"

"What is it made of?" Draco wondered out loud.

"Beats me" Ron said shrugging touching the head "It feels cool yet… Warm I can't explain it, is like a thunder contained"

Hermione stretched her hand as well, barely scraping the surface.

"You're right Ron" she said in awe "It's soft to the touch but I bet it is pretty strong"

"Let's try it then" Harry said, and took it by the handle with both hands and raised it above him. He then struck swiftly downwards, against a loose stone that had fallen when the statue of Slytherin crumbled.

BOOM!

The sound of metal crushing the stone echoed in the hall and Harry took the hammer again in both hands barely making any effort.

"It's incredible!" he exclaimed "Light as a feather, I think it barely weights a pound… well several pounds… but still I think a child could carry it!"

Unknown to them, Robert had taken _the book_ out and was already reading avidly through its pages. Hermione, being the bookworm she was, apparently had the ability to detect when someone opened a book, because in no time she was next to him reading along the headmaster's grandson.

"Mithril!" Hermione shrieked excitedly. Harry, Ron and Draco raised their eyebrows when they saw her jumping up and down, while Rob struggled to keep the book from falling down of the girl's hands. "Look what it says:

_Mithril is unarguably the most valuable of the metals found throughout the world. It is so scarce that it is worth easily a hundred times its weight in gold. It's stronger and tougher than steel or any other heavy metals, extremely light; its roughness exceeds diamonds, flexible as rubber, and malleable as gold. An armor coat made of Mithril could withstand the harshest attack and a child could carry it as if were a linen shirt. Its origin is unknown._

_Legends speak of an Elemental Master of Stone that turned a great stone into Mithril for a king of old to use for his army. But after his passing, the secret was lost forever. Some say that the Dwarves where especially fond of Mithril and could create wonders with it._

_Only time will say, if another Elemental Master of Stone can unfold the mystery of the Mithril."_

"No kidding, eh?" Harry said as he inspected the great hammer "It does meet characteristics of Mithril. It's practically weightless and I think it could really shatter anything on its path."

"Well obviously that's why the Dwarves want it back so eagerly" Robert muttered "I think it was Mithril what he was talking about when we asked him to make us an armor. It must be virtually impossible to obtain, that's why he said it was not possible"

"I can already imagine his face" Ron said smirking playfully "It will be hilarious! His eyes bulging out, jaw wide open, and drooling all the way"

"Yea that pretty much sums it up" Draco said "Who are we talking about anyways?"

"Dryl" the rest said at unison.

"Who's Dryl?" the Slytherin asked

"A dwarf" Harry said

"A dwarf?"

"I think he already said it was" Ron said frowning.

"You've got to be kidding me" Draco said with a surprised look on his face.

"Nope" Harry said "Short dude, big beard, likes axes and stuff"

"Reminded me of grumpy" Hermione said to herself.

"He wasn't that grumpy" Ron added.

"No Ron! She was talking about Grumpy the Dwarf" Harry exclaimed.

"Who's that?" Rob asked confused.

"I haven't got a clue" Ron said.

"OH come on" Hermione whined "Snowhite and the seven dwarfs?"

"Should I look for that in a History book?" Draco asked Ron.

"We could always ask Binns" Rob said shrugging.

"Just forget about it" Harry said "We will give it back the next time we go to Knockturn Alley"

"Of all the places…" Draco said slapping his forehead with his hand.

**A/N: Well theres the 10 chapter! Finally! I have been very busy with work and haven't really gotten lots of chances to work on the fic, so if you find some mistakes is because: a) I have no beta (any volunteers?) and b)My job doesn't let me work lots in the story. Please be patient with me! I'm still updating, slowly but surely!**

**I especially value your opinions so please Read and Review, it is very appreaciated.**


	11. Tom Riddle's Diary

**Chapter 11: Tom Riddle's Diary**

Ginny Weasley walked with her head hung low, dreading whatever the outcome of the gathering would be. The Hogwarts heads of houses walked around her, forming a protective circle. A few feet further, the cerulean blue robe of Dumbledore swiveled swiftly, creating the illusion that the headmaster was gliding through the halls and stairs of the castle.

No one had uttered a single word after they had left the hospital wing, having deemed the girl – though reluctantly – in perfect health by Madame Pomfrey. Ginny had been told that her parents were already waiting in Dumbledore's office. She couldn't help but to feel a bit scared, but the headmaster had insisted that she had to recount the events that took place in the Chamber of the Secrets and had nothing to worry about. Snape wasn't sure here story added up, and had voiced his concerns rather strongly. But the headmaster had brushed off his comments, telling him they needed to calmly sit down and listen to her. She was of course horrified as she trembled through the halls of the castle.

In what seemed an eternity of walking, they arrived in front of a stone gargoyle, which merely acknowledged the headmaster and revealed a circular staircase. The door of the office creaked open and just when they entered a shriek was heard.

"Ginny! My baby!" bellowed Mrs. Weasley capturing her only daughter in a desperate hug, sobbing all over her and giving her a kiss on her forehead "Thank Merlin you are all right! When the headmaster told us you were missing…"

Mr. Weasley walked towards Ginny calmly, but the look of relief was too obvious.

"My Princess" he said enveloping her lovingly "I'm so glad you are all right"

Ginny couldn't hold it anymore and began sobbing in her father's arms, whispering how sorry she was and how scared she had been.

After a few moments of privacy for the Weasleys, the headmaster offered them a seat in comfortable chairs that he had conjured seconds before. Snape was already sitting down, looking glum and pensive, while the rest of the head of houses looked attentively at the headmaster. McGonagall was particularly serious.

"Ms. Weasley I am immensely relieved that you have not sustained lasting damage from your ordeal of this night" Dumbledore said calmly "But I am afraid I am going to ask you to relive today's events."

"Okay" Ginny said quietly, but looked down at her feet.

"Ginny you can take all the time you need, sweetie" Mrs. Wealsey said placing a comforting arm on her shoulder "If it's too scary we could wait."

"No mum I want to do it" she said after a few moments, still a bit apprehensive "It all started with the diary, when I started writing in it. At first, it was entirely blank, and I thought daddy had bought it for me. But then, it started answering…"

"Oh, darling" Mr. Weasley said quietly "How many times have I told you not to trust something that thinks for itself when you don't know where its brain is?"

"I know daddy" Ginny said on the verge of crying "But Tom listened to me! He was like my friend; I could tell him things I don't tell even Luna!"

"It is perfectly understandable Ms. Weasley" McGonagall said, attempting to comfort her student.

"Please continue" the headmaster said gravely, the twinkle in his eyes unusually dull.

"A... After… After a few weeks I started waking up in strange places" she stuttered, tears falling down her face, "I couldn't remember anything that I had done. One time I had blood in my hands and I was covered in feathers! After a while I started seeing everything he did but I couldn't control myself… painted all the messages…." She said whimpering "and i forced the basilisk to petrify those kids…"

"Take your time Ms. Weasley" Flitwick said concertedly offering her some tea that he had brewed when the story started "This should calm you down"

"Thank you Professor" she said taking a few sips before continuing "Then this afternoon I wrote for the last time… I just couldn't stop. It was like the diary was calling to me – forcing me to write. And then everything went blank. But I tried to fight it and suddenly I found myself in this dark, creepy hall. I understood some things that were being said and I tried to warn them. But Tom was getting too strong."

"Warn who Ms. Weasley?" Snape inquired.

"There were some people, covered in hoods; I couldn't see their faces" she said, now more calmly "I do know I was bound. I think one of them made a statue come alive and it took my wand and held me from my arms."

"A transfigured statue" Dumbledore mused "Well that's interesting. What do you think Minerva?"

"It couldn't have been a student" McGonagall wondered out loud "It's too advanced… perhaps maybe a few from my NEWT class"

"But they were fighting him before" Ginny said "I remember being tired and using many spells"

"I doubt even NEWT students can perform such level of transfiguration during a full-fledged duel" Dumbledore said "Especially against someone as skilled in dueling as Mr. Riddle. What happened next Ms. Weasley?"

"I… I spoke in parseltongue" she said quietly.

"What?"

"Tom was a Parseltongue, he sent the basilisk to attack them" she said "I then woke up, and the basilisk was gone and they sent me through some stairs and told me you were coming."

"Ah I recall receiving a strange message from Fawkes" Dumbledore said "Most curious, I was supposed to go to a girl's lavatory."

"Who exactly is Tom M. Riddle anyways?" asked Mr. Weasley, eying the black diary uneasily.

"Ahh… I had long dreaded that something like this would happen, after Mr. Riddle left the school more than fifty years ago" Dumbledore said taking a deep breath and sighing. He then raised his wand and scribbled in midair.

'Tom Marvolo Riddle'

The words floated ominously in the air, and with a swish of his wand, the words reassembled into another sentence which made the entire room gasp.

'I Am Lord Voldemort"

"Merlin's beard!" Flitwick exclaimed "I taught that monster!"

"I looked up to him!" shouted Pomona Sprout "He was considered a role model! What a disgrace!"

McGonagall even sobbed, covering her mouth with her hand.

Ginny was stunned, completely perplexed after hearing Tom's identity. She felt numb, even ignoring her mother's hug and the tears falling freely from her eyes.

"Indeed, Tom Riddle was one of the most bright student's Hogwarts has ever had" Dumbledore said, sounding resigned "But he was ambitious and astute, and was quickly lured by the dark arts."

"Then we must destroy this diary" Snape said determinedly "We cannot let an object of this nature intact, risking another person to be influenced by _him._"

"I agree" said Mr. Weasley, finding unusual that he was agreeing with the Slytherin Head of House "I want it burn! That thing messed with my little girl and I will not stand calm until it's banished from earth."

"Very well" said Dumbledore "It shall be done. Fawkes… if you could honor us…"

And with a majestic flash of fire and light, the phoenix appeared on top of the diary and a thrilling song filled the room. Ginny could feel the song reach into her, soothing and calming her. The mythological bird then shed few tears and to everyone's – except Duembledore's – surprise, the diary of Tom M. Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort, began dissolving, letting out a pained shriek. Fawkes then returned to his perch and shrilled soothingly.

"How did that happen?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Something of such a dark nature cannot withstand the pureness of a phoenix's tears. I have to apologize once again" Dumbledore said in a tone that showed deep regret "For I have failed yet one more time to protect one of your children's life, and many others, by not taking seriously this threat, and not acting accordingly."

"You have many other issues to attend Headmaster" Snape retorted "There is no way you could know such artifact could have been in possession of Ms. Weasley. Furthermore, it is my opinion that this diary wasn't given to her by coincidence."

"Do you think it was premeditated?" asked Mr. Weasley directly at the potions master "Why Ginny then? Why would someone want to get to her?"

"Not her" Dumbledore interrupted "You Mr. Weasley. If I am correct you have begun a new series of raids for enchanted artifacts, am I wrong?"

"No, that's correct" said Mr. Weasley "So all this to get me to look bad in front of the Ministry? To get me sacked?"

"It is quite an elaborate plan" said Flitwick "If the daughter of the head of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts were to be found killing muggleborns… I can only think of a few individuals who could come with such a convoluted plot."

"Fawkes" Dumbledore called "Could you take Ms. Weasley back to the infirmary? My guess is she wants some privacy…" after confirming that Ginny did not want to see any of her housemates right away he nodded and continued "I have several things to discuss with her parents. Ms. Weasley please hold Fawkes feather"

Ginny complied, a bit shyly, but grabbed firmly the crimson tail of the Phoenix. She was then gone in a flash of fire.

"No harm will come upon her now" stated Dumbledore reassuringly "Now, Arthur, Molly, I have something to confess. There is a reason that I have not paid the required attention the school welfare during this term."

"I'm sure you have your reasons, Albus" said Mr. Weasley leaning back, placing an arm behind his wife.

"Nevertheless, I have been preoccupied with several delicate matters" the headmaster said, his voice grave "Are you aware of a group called the Order of the Phoenix?"

"Vaguely" answered Mr. Weasley "I recall rumors of an independent group during the war against you-know-who, led by you, if I am not wrong"

"Well said group does exist" Dumbledore said "But it was disbanded ten years ago when Lord Voldemort was vanquished by young Harry Potter."

"But what does it have to do with all of this?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Ahh… do you recall the incident on the Ottery St. Catchpole, two years ago?" asked Dumbledore, receiving a positive answer "Well I had my doubts… I thought this was not an isolated incident. Almost three years ago, i found myself witness of a similar attack on a muggle orphanage… St. Mark's. Three unidentified individuals entered one night looking for something, slaughtering children and women without mercy. It was ancient dark magic, too horrible for me to describe. Only one child survived that night… out of more than a hundred. The boy witnessed the entire massacre and barely made it alive himself."

Gasps and sobs were heard, all the ladies visibly startled by the crudeness of the story.

"Even so… this attack had the same patterns…" Dumbledore said taking a deep breath "This type of assault reminded me of events occurred decades ago… during the war against Grindelwald. When I realized this, I knew I couldn't stand by, waiting like I did some so many years ago. And so I reassembled the Order of the Phoenix. For more than a year I have been looking for clues, investigating, searching for wizards and witches that wish to join this effort.

This proved to be a distraction from my duties here in Hogwarts. I did place some additional protections on the castle… but it never occurred to me that an attack would come from inside. Anyways… I'm straying from the topic. I did have a question for you Mr. and Mrs. Weasley… would you help us in this endeavor? Would you join the Order of the Phoenix and help us fight against evil, should the necessity arise?"

Both red heads hesitated, and looked at each other for several minutes. Mrs. Weasley then nodded and Arthur smiled lovingly.

"You can count on us, Albus"

"Very well" Dumbledore said "Now, in another matter… I am going to change things in Hogwarts. There will be no place for this kind of attack anymore. I have let the school run itself for too long. There will be severe measurements taken place. I am talking about the Vextral incidents as well."

"These individuals have managed to elude us in every attempt to catch them" Sprout said frowning "And I fear they come from all houses… so this is a bigger issue than we though."

"The potion is unlike anything I have ever seen" Snape added "I have yet to discover what the essential ingredient is."

"Perhaps with some Ministry help you could get to bottom of this?" asked Arthur.

"I might have to ask Cornelius for a group of aurors to stand guard…" Dumbledore said, a bit apprehensive "It startles me how they have been able to conceal themselves. There is something strange… some dark force aiding them."

"We trust you, Albus" said Arthur "I would like to go see our daughter, if you excuse us"

"Very well Arthur" the headmaster said "And I will not betray your trust again. These hoodlums will be dealt with, I promise that much."

* * *

Deep hidden in the Forbidden forest lies a secret chamber, empty for more than a thousand years, before the times of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin. In this chamber there is a hall, filled with the most amazing magic imaginable. Currently five young teenagers sat down on a grass covered meadow, a complex illusion created by the room.

"So what is this all about?" asked Draco scratching the back of the head.

"There is some things we need to discuss" said Hermione hugging her knees in front of her "We left some things unfinished after the chamber"

"I agree" complimented Robert, serious as usual with his nonchalant demeanor.

"Fine" said Ron rolling his eyes "When are we going to deliver the hammer?"

"We can't" Harry said breaking his silence at last "Don't you remember? I couldn't wind-travel out of the chamber. It is like something is blocking us, and I had never felt something like this. We will have to deliver the hammer in summer break."

"Maybe Dumbledore did something to prevent elemental travel" Draco said "He has been unusually strict since we rescued your sister Ron."

"Yea, I noticed too" said Ron nodding "Those aurors roaming the hallways, they are just creepy. Why do you think Dumbledore brought them?"

"Because of the attacks" Robert said glumly "Hopefully the Valari and their lot will think twice to attack again."

"But we still need to do something about them!" Harry exclaimed "There is not telling what they could come with now. And they always seem to disappear without trace."

"Maybe" Hermione said not entirely sure "Anyways, I think the professors are starting to notice that you are doing very bad on classes."

"Doesn't matter" Robert said "Correct me if I am wrong, but the only real grades that count are the O.W.L.'s and the N.E.W.T.'s, aren't they? Pretty antiquated in my opinion though."

"Well, yeah…" Hermione answered nervously "But i…"

"You can still do well in classes Hermione" Ron interrupted shaking his head in amusement.

"That's not it!" Hermione exclaimed "It's just… I have noticed that we do magic better than everyone else in our classes. Since I had _that _dream…"

"You too then?" said Draco surprised.

"I knew I was not that crazy" Ron exclaimed with a smirk on his face.

"So you got visited by one of the guardians too?" asked Rob.

"What?" Hermione said shocked "You mean that was _true?_ I mean, I had King Arthur in front of me, for Merlin sakes. He called some name, _Tarien_, I think it was"

"I got visited by Dallben" Ron said "He kept calling me _Nim'Taro"_

"So they have a name for each one of us?" Draco said shaking his head "Allanon kept calling me _Nim'Dae._ And yes, I have noticed that spells keep coming easier to me. I have held back since the year started."

"They said something about awakening our powers" Robert said.

"Anyhow, we can't let anyone know about them" Harry commented "We don't want to call any unwanted attention."

"Fine!" Hermione said slightly irritated "But don't complain to me when the professors start doing something about it"

"Hermione we ARE studying" Ron protested "I can't actually believe it but the book is really interesting. There are many spells they don't teach anymore and have so many ideas to make the communicators work at long distances. I need to find a way to store more electricity in them so they can function."

"Maybe the communicators use magic from us and it's not enough to power them over distance" Harry said "Remember, everyone has certain capacity to do magic. That's why there are wizards more powerful than other."

"But that's because they are older and have studied much more" Hermione argued.

"Knowledge and wisdom do reflect Hermione" said Robert "But just to a certain point. As far as I know there are many wizards even older than Dumbledore that are nowhere near his level. For example, Dumbledore knows nothing about elemental magic, but Shen did."

"Elemental magic…" Draco mused playing with Shadows, that grew and flickered whenever he decided, the only element he could use "There's something different about it"

"There is no… 'pull' like the one when I do normal spells" Ron said "It's, I just can describe it. But if it doesn't takes magic from us then why it's the power not enough."

"Maybe with runes…" mused out Robert.

"When I use it I just remember how each element _feels_" Harry whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear, while he formed a small air sphere flowing with grass and dirt "How many elements there are"

"Six, that I know of" Hermione said "Though I can only use one of them; they are Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Lightning and Shadow. I'm water, reminds me of the time I spent on the beach on France."

"What does it depend on?" Ron said "Mine are Earth and Lightning"

The earth began moving around him, accommodating comfortably, and a small jolt of electricity coursed on his hand, proving his point.

"I can use most of them" Rob said "Except Shadow"

"Me too" Harry added "Just a little bit, not like Rob does"

"But think about it" Hermione said "Why can we do elemental magic? Did you know that is supposedly impossible to do? I can do some things from Transfiguration that my mentor could not even reproduce… But I am not that good at Defense like Harry is or at Potions like Draco"

"Maybe it has to do with the wands?" Draco asked pensively "Supposedly my wand is good for dueling and charms."

"I don't think that's it" Robert interrupted "I remember Ollivander saying that the wand _chooses_ the wizard, not the other way around. And for example, your wand wouldn't make Hermione better at Defense even if it was the legendary wand of Godric Gryiffindor."

"In any case we could try it to see what happens" Harry interrupted.

Draco grabbed his wand from the hilt and passed it to Hermione, although wearily.

"It's not going to break Draco" Ron commented rolling his eyes "Relax"

Hermione eyed Ron with a frown on her face but quickly paid attention to the wand in her hand and gave hers to the Slytherin boy. Both of them stood up and faced away from the circle of friends.

"_Contego!"_ Hermione bellowed, as a red disk came out of her wand, but she visually struggled and could only maintain it for a few seconds.

"_Avifors"_ Draco said trying to force a stone to turn into a bird, but only lasted for ten seconds.

"Well that proves it I think" Ron said.

"I think I did even worse with your wand" Draco said, presenting it to her.

"Likewise" Hermione said returning his "I felt, I don't know how to put it… tense… like there was something blocking me, like being trapped."

"Pretty much" the blond said.

"Then it is proved" Robert said "Wands are not made for a certain art, they are attuned to the wizards magic"

"Listen to us" said Ron shaking his head "Talking about school stuff and where magic comes from. We should be enjoying life, but _nooo_ we have to save the world and who knows what else."

"Stop complaining Ron, this book is something amazing, I'll take the risks that come with it" Hermione said rolling her eyes "So what do we do?"

"Keep training" Rob said "All the exercise and training we have done has truly helped. Don't you feel different, relaxed and with more energy? I think it's part of the reason our magic keeps coming stronger"

"I can work with that" Hermione said, relaxing finally.

"What else then?" asked Ron, to no one in particular.

"I've been thinking about something" Rob said "Since we all have copies of the book keyed to each one, maybe we can give one to Ginny and Luna"

"_What?"_ asked Harry.

"All that fussing about not giving them the book and suddenly you want to do it?" Ron asked in disdain "They have been so freaking mad at us for who knows how long?"

"The Valari have obviously targeted her before" Rob answered "And I didn't want to give it to them because we had only one copy, with so many we can lend one to them and still study. The Lord Serpents are attacking them too, although unknowingly of course"

"Perhaps not" Draco said in remorse, looking down "I think it was my father who gave the diary to Ginny"

"Oh…" Ron said staring at the blonde Slytherin in understanding. "Draco Look up"

He did so, slowly, in fear of what they would say about him.

"You had nothing to do with it"

"But he's my dad" Draco retorted covering his head and leaning against his knees.

The four Gryffindors stood up and rounded up the crouched figure of Draco, each placing a comforting hand on a shoulder or an arm.

"We know that you are not your Dad" Hermione said quietly, trying to comfort him "Answer me, would you ever do something like that to me?"

"Never!" he said looking up, tears falling down his cheeks.

"Then you are nothing like him" Ron said patting him in the back.

"I think it's a good idea Rob. We will take them off our backs and since we have five copies we can give one to them." Harry said trying to cheer up the mood "But how are we going to do that. By the way… what does the guardian of the book thing works?"

"There are some runes in the book, behind the cover" Rob said "I have the original one and i think it's tied to me, and if I change the Runes, the copies come back… but I can only make 'activate' five of them"

"Wait a moment" Draco asked "If they had the book in the first place, wouldn't they be the other chosen ones?"

"I have thought about that too" Hermione said "Trying to analyze which students could be the guardians. But even with the book, wouldn't the guardians have brought Ginny and Luna to train too, if they had already met them?"

"There's no way to do it if we don't take them to the Cave" said Harry "But if they aren't _Ainur_ we risk telling them about the guardians and putting them in unnecessary danger."

"Maybe we could Obliviate them if they aren't?" Draco wondered.

"Would you do that?" Ron asked seriously "Would you erase the memories of someone you care about. We have done that before because we know the Valari are hurting children, and the drug they are developing is very dangerous."

"Ron is right" Hermione said "I know how to do the charms to an extent, but if I erase too much I could damage their minds. I'm not doing that to Ginny or Luna"

"Fine then" Rob said "So we agree that we can risk telling them about the cave. Any thoughts of how to give them the book?"

"Perhaps it is time we got our 'Guardian' imitation act together" said Hermione smugly "That way they won't suspect of us"

"That's a nice idea" Harry said smiling "Maybe… we can take the role as defenders of Hogwarts or something like that"

"We need some type of uniform" Ron said "Obviously with hoods or something to hide our faces"

"That we can get when we give back the hammer" Rob said "In the mean time we can use the transfigured robes. I think the question is how are we going to give it? And When?"

"Hmmm…" Ron wondered out loud "Maybe after the Dueling Club that Lockhart is starting."

"I don't think so, there's going to be too many people there. Get Ginny alone" Draco said "Or make sure she's with Luna only"

"Well what about this…." Harry said.

* * *

"Are you ok Ginny?" said Luna, trying to get the attention of the redhead "You have been awfully quiet since you came back from the infirmary. Did something happen?"

Ginny looked down to the book on the library table, trying very hard not to cry. Her eyes were red and watery, her hair a complete mess.

"It's nothing"

"You aren't fooling anyone" Persephone said placing her hand on Ginny's "If there's something wrong you can't tell us."

"Really" Ginny said, rubbing her eyes and cleaning her tears "It's nothing" she repeated.

"Take your time" said Caroline Smith "No need to tell us right away Ginny. Just know that we are here for you if you need to talk."

Ginny's eyes watered again and she softly nodded.

"Thank you" she said in a quiet whisper "Just… just give me some time"

"Do the teacher's know?" Persephone said "If something happened to you… Has someone bothered you?"

"They know…" Ginny muttered "And it's… just complicated, ok?"

"Sure" the blonde said as she and Caroline got up "Remember we are your friends, and we are here for you, ok?"

"Thank you guys" Ginny said honestly.

"Anyways, we are leaving" Caroline said "Colin asked if we could help him study charms, are you two going to be fine by yourselves?"

"Sure" Luna said smiling "We will just finish this essay"

"Bye then" Persephone said beaming at them and the two girls left for the Gryffindor tower.

Ginny and Luna spent another half an hour on the potion's homework in a comfortable silence. That was something that she could always count with, that unspoken agreement between her and Luna. The blonde knew Ginny would tell her whenever she was ready, and she will just be there for her, not forcing any issue that she may have. Still in silence, they put everything away and quietly walked out of the library.

"Daddy says he's got a hint of where the Crumple-Horned Snorckacks nest is" Luna commented absent mindedly. Ginny beamed at her, an honest and true smile. Luna always knew how to do that… take her mind of what was troubling her.

"That's great Luna" Ginny said "Will you go with him in summer vacations?"

"Maybe" she said, her blue eyes shining "Would you like to come with us?"

"I'm not sure… I think mum and dad are planning a vacation to Egypt, and I haven't got to see Bill in a long time. I miss him."

"You're lucky you have so many brothers" Luna said as they turned into the stairs that led to the Gryffindor tower.

"Sometimes…" Ginny said "I…"

But right at that moment, as they reached the third floor hallway, a rumbling sound was heard, drawing the attention of both girls. Without hesitation their wands were drawn. For a millionth time she wished that she had had more time with the book, the spells it had were amazing.

"_Skotos Anakalypto"_ Luna muttered. The spell was used to detect any presence in the darkness. The blonde frowned when nothing appeared after a white light came out her wand. Both girls slowly walked towards the sound.

"What was that?" Ginny whispered.

"Do you think it was the Valari?" Luna

"I don't know"

Then in a corner, farther in the hallway, they saw as a figure, covered in a white and blue robe, face hidden under a hood. It slowly made way down the hallway around the corner. The two girls looked at each other and with an unspoken agreement they ran towards the figure, wands drawn just in case."

"That's not the Valari Luna" Ginny said between heavy breaths "I think he's friendly"

Luna stopped abruptly, dragging the red-head with her.

"What are you talking about?" Luna said frowning at her.

"It's got to do with what happened last week" Ginny said anxiously "Can you trust me with this? I think they are trying to tell us something"

"_They?"_

"Just trust me ok?" Ginny begged, holding Luna's hands in her own.

"Ok" Luna said without hesitation "But I won't lower my wand at them. They may have wrackspurts."

"Thank you" Ginny said hugging her quickly.

Just in that moment, another rumble echoed in the hall and the swish of cloaks was heard further in the hallway. The two girls jogged in a slower pace, careful in case they stumbled into any professor or prefect. Another corner further they caught a glimpse of the figure and they ran faster. In the next hallway there were many doors, but only one was opened. Slowly they walked wands on the ready. Both were trembling, adrenaline coursing through their bodies,

The only light visible was one of the moonlight, coming from the opened door. Taking a deep breath they looked at each other and nodded. Their steps reverberated in the empty classroom, the moon shining through the windows. A loud thump startled them, and the door closed behind them.

On the other side of the class room, five cloaked figures formed a half circle, hands hidden under their cloaks, and faces concealed from the two girls.

"Who are you?" Luna demanded.

"That is not of importance" said a raspy voice, coming from the first one on the left

"What do you want with us?" Ginny asked without lowering her wand "Are you the ones from the chamber?"

"Chamber?" Luna said in confusion, her eyes open wide as if finally understanding something.

"Indeed we are" said the voice of a woman on the right.

"And we have come to warn you" said another man, second on the left "The Valari are not an enemy to be underestimated."

"Their claws run deep in all houses" said the figure second to the right "You must be cautious in who you put your trust."

"How do we know you're not _them?_" asked Luna glaring at the five cloaked persons "How do we know this is not a trap and you are setting us up right in this moment?"

"Ah a clever girl" said the one from the center "There's no way for you to trust us, but we mean no harm."

"But there's something we want to give you" the woman said "It will aid you, help you to defend yourselves and your friends when we aren't able to"

"_Skotos Anakalypto"_ intoned Luna, a white pulse shining in the classroom.

When nothing happened, the figures looked at each other.

"What was that supposed to do?" asked the first on the left.

Luna relaxed her wand a bit.

"Dark intentions detector" Luna told them.

"That's… interesting" the woman said "Where did you learn that?"

"A book" Ginny said "I still don't understand what is it you want?"

The man on second to the right then took out something from his cloak.

"Perhaps it was this book?" he asked showing them a great white tome.

"Where did you get that!" bellowed Ginny "It was hidden in my house!"

"Ah that" said the one in the middle "We had a greater necessity at the moment. Surely you know of the events from that day. We arrived late, but we managed to draw the attacker away."

"It was _you?"_ Luna said.

"Nevertheless" the woman interrupted, and taking the book she approached the two girls and presented them the white book "Use this wisely and let no one see it."

Ginny held it in awe and looked at the hidden face of the woman, unable to recognize her. She took it between her hands and nodded enthusiastically.

"Why are you giving this?" Ginny said, her eyes tearing up "It means a lot to us… I just don't get, why us?"

"Because you wish so much for this" the one in the middle said "We have been observing you from the beginning of this year. You are strong Ginevra, you fought the Dark Lord himself inside your mind and was able to hold him back. Our only condition is to answer us why do you want this?"

"To protect" both said without hesitation "We have seen what the Vextral does, and we have seen directly the makers."

"You have?" said the one second to left "That is an excellent piece of news. Perhaps you can direct us to where did you see them."

"Around the seventh floor, where the Lost thing's room is" Luna replied

"Pardon me?"

"A room in the seventh floor, the door sometimes vanishes" Ginny clarified.

"Ah, I see" said the one second to right "We will take care of them…"

"But we want to help!" exclaimed Ginny.

"You're too young" said the first man from the left "And they are far from being just vicious Slytherin students."

"What does it have to do with anything" asked Luna "Aren't you students too?"

A pregnant silence fell upon the room.

"Not exactly…" one said a bit hesitantly.

"And how did you pass the Aurors then?" asked Ginny suspicious of their lack of answer "Are you Aurors then?"

"We aren't members of the Ministry either" said the one on the right "And we will leave it at that. No facing the Valari yet. Practice, train, and do whatever you need and until you are ready we will call you."

"Why? We can defend ourselves!" Ginny said.

"Prove it" the one in the middle said "Land a hit on me and we will let you help"

The four other cloaked figures moved away as the one who spoke drew his wand. Ginny did not hesitate. She tried to remember everything that Kari had taught them and fell into an stance and before two seconds she had casted three spells – which the figure merely sidestepped. Ginny blinked, and stopped, dumbfounded. She had not even seen the man move. She tried another strategy, aiming to different spots, and launching a last one at the place he had been before.

"_Reducto!"_

As the blue light flew towards the attacker, she mentally celebrated but at the last millisecond, the man spun around and the Reductor struck the wall. Debris flew everywhere, but the man was still not unnerved.

"Give me your best" he stated emotionlessly.

Ginny growled and launched herself into action. She would prove them that they were not useless, that she was not useless. Her entire life flashed in her eyes that moment, all the times that her brothers pushed her away, all the times she was forgotten or was treated like a porcelain doll. Then she remembered the attack on Ottery St. Catchpole. What came next was a barraged of _Expelliarmus, Reductos _and _Stupefies._ By the end of it, she was breathing harshly, leaning against her knees.

"You are very determined Ginny Weasley" the man said, still without a scratch on his robe "And very strong. I have no doubt you will raise up to the challenge. But until then, both of you, learn from the book, and train your body and your mind. We will look for you. Until the next time."

And saying that the five figures vanished.

"Did they just apparate out of Hogwarts?" asked Luna dumbstruck

"I really don't know" Ginny said in awe "But we have got the book back!"


	12. An unexpected Letter

**Chapter 12: An unexpected Letter.**

"Well somebody is in a good mood today" Ron said, unusually looking up from his breakfast "Wonder why that could be?"

Harry glanced towards the great hall doors as a rambunctious redhead skipped towards the Gryffindor table – _skipped._ Not walked, not strutted angrily, but skipped. She was followed closely by her three friends. Their faces had an amused smile yet a confused frown at the behavior of their usually angry housemate. Harry had to do a double take and his eyes opened in surprise. Ginny had a smile plastered on her face as she merrily chatted with Luna - who was clearly relieved at her friend's demeanor-, Persy (as they had nicknamed Susan Bones sister) and Caroline Smith who were still frowning.

"I guess she really, _really_ wanted the book back" whispered Robert smirking.

"Want to bet that she's practicing for the duel tournament?" asked Hermione, rolling her eyes.

"Do you take me for a fool?" asked Ron "I would never bet to something so _obvious_."

"We still have to discuss what we are going to do about the tournament" said Hermione barely whispering "Lockhart is so…"

"We know Hermione" interrupted Rob.

"Anyways, mate's she's right" said Harry "I can't believe the git actually _forced _us to participate. I swear he doesn't hear a word that we say."

"Wait" said Hermione as she took her wand under the table and muttered a spell "_Muffliato_"

"Nice thinking" said Ron as he grabbed another piece of toast, ignoring the glances that Ginny was giving them "Wouldn't want my sis to get suspicious, would we?"

Harry scowled, paying no attention to Ron, as he remembered the announcement that their joke of Defense teacher had done the last week. Lockhart had revealed that Hogwarts would be hosting the very First Inter-House Dueling Tournament. After the class, the good-for-nothing _pseudo_ Defense Master had taken Harry and his friends and practically bribed him and his friends, subliminally telling them they would fail the year if they didn't help raising the school's spirits by being part of said tournament. Neither he nor his friends had been very thrilled with that piece of news.

"What to do, what to do?" wondered Harry out loud holding his chin as he pretended to consider his options.

"Just do what we do in classes mate" said Rob.

"You mean nothing?" said Hermione glaring at him.

"Hey I resent that" he retorted pouting "But well I have no idea. For one, everyone will be expecting us to fail since we do so badly in classes. Really the stares that McGonagall and Snape give us creep me out. But then, they are still suspicious that we are holding back. The question is, should we show our skills or hide them."

"It's always the same question" said Ron, shrugging.

"There's no reason for us to reveal our secrets" Harry added "If we suddenly show what we can do, there will be some awkward questions."

"Some?" Ron said shaking his head "Are you nuts? They will bloody attack us I tell you!"

"Language Ron" Hermione chastised "I'm getting tired of this; it is frustrating to know what you can do and not being able to show it."

"We have been over this Hermione" Rob said "There are many things at stake, not only our popularity or our grades"

"Then we will do as always" Harry commanded "Don't lose too easily but stick to first and second years spells. Maybe Hermione can win, if she wants to."

"I don't think so" she replied "If I do too much better than you they will ask why you aren't learning from me. We do spend all time together."

"Fine" Ron said "It's settled then, stick to the plan. You should drop the spell Hermione, my sister started noticing already."

"_Finite"_ the brunette muttered.

"Hey! Neville!" Harry said as their friend sat next to them, joined by Seamus and Dean "How is third year treating you?"

"Hey Guys" he said nervously "Well I could be doing better in Potions, and Professor Sprout wants me to help her with some projects."

"That's great Neville" Hermione said beaming at him, risking a quick glance towards Ginny and her group of friends "So how was the school without these ruffians?"

Neville's face darkened.

"You have heard about the Vextral, haven't you?"

Harry was taken aback with the seriousness of his voice and raised his eyebrow. Rob, Hermione and Ron had similar gestures on their faces.

"Are you still training?" Harry asked in a hushed whisper.

"Yes…" Neville said imitating Harry's tone as they all leaned towards the table "Actually I went with my grandfather. He has been teaching me all sorts of stuff. But I don't have the time to show you guys… our schedules clash too much and he doesn't want me to reveal many things."

"I thought you only lived with your Grandmother" Hermione commented.

"Well... It's just that grandpa it's too busy and rarely spends time at the house" Neville said taking a piece of toast "But he has taken me to his job a few times now."

"Where does he work?" Ron asked.

"Sorry, I can't tell you…" Neville said looking down.

Harry and Rob looked at each other, frowning, thinking the very same thing.

'_Well, we aren't the only ones keeping secrets'_

"Don't worry mate" said Harry patting his back "I'm sure you're having loads of fun with your granddad. Do you people miss us in your class?" he added asking the rest of their ex-classmates from their house.

"Classes do seem a bit dull, if you ask me mate" Seamus said in his Irish accent "Boring as hell in fact."

"There a too few of us" said Parvati Patil butting in "Don't you think Lav? I mean the Slytherins outnumber us almost two to one"

"Not to mention how hard they go on us since we are too few" Lavender said, as she looked at herself in a pocket mirror.

"I guess it's kind of our fault" Rob said looking apologetically at the third year Gryffindors "At least you don't have to deal with Ginny's temper, no offense mate."

"None taken"

"I heard you, Dumbledore" the redhead said from a few places away, glaring at him, while having a pout forming on her face.

The rest of the Gryffindors looked surprised at her. She looked even amused at the antics of her brother's friend. Her change of mood had taken everyone by surprise, but they all silently agreed that they preferred her this way than the short tempered Ginny from a month before. Harry struggled, not knowing what to think. He felt all tingly and his stomach seemed to do a somersault at the sight before him. But he had seen Ginny before, why would now be any different?

His thoughts were disrupted as said red-head approached his friend.

"What were you saying about me?" she demanded walking painfully slowly, glaring all the way to the headmaster's grandson.

"You are hearing things Weasley" Rob answered distractedly, taking a mouthful of mashed potatoes in an attempt not to laugh at her.

"I don't think so" interrupted Luna "The Wrackspurts told me"

"Huh?" Neville blurted out "What in the world is a Wrackspurt?"

"It's an invisible creature that floats into your ears and makes your brain go all fuzzy" Luna responded smiling without a care in the world "Rob here is full of them and so they told me what he had said"

"Is she a bit… you know?" Harry heard Seamus ask one of the third year girls

"Loony?" Parvati questioned "Well just a bit; she's funny though"

"Well, well this is a strange sight, isn't it my dear brother" came a voice behind them.

"Indeed, Gred" Forge said. Harry really couldn't tell one from another "It's quite surprising watching our favorite little sister not fuming at Mr. Potter here."

"Hey I'm not always Fuming!" Ginny said crossing her arms, pouting at her twin brothers "And what do you mean with favorite sister? I'm the only sister you got"

"Hence the favorite, sis" said the one who had assumed the name of Gred. "Besides, we still doubt Ron's tendencies."

"Hey!"

"At any rate, we were wondering" Forge said ignoring completely his brother "If you dear fellows were going to participate on the amazing new tournament Mr. Lockhart oh so graciously has arranged?"

"More like forced us into it" mumbled Ron.

"Pardon me?" asked Ginny and then turned at Rob and Harry "Weren't you going to participate? It's for extra credit."

Harry managed to stop himself from gulping and give the fiery haired girl a witty response.

"Well, Hermione hardly needs the extra credit" he said "And we don't really care about such nonsense. We prefer to immerse ourselves in other kind of leisure activities, particularly the ones that have nothing to do with schoolwork."

"For example" Ron butted in "Harry has won most of the Quid ditch matches, and we wouldn't want to distract him from practicing would we?"

"Are you serious?" Ginny said, looking disappointed "But you _do _need the extra credit Ronald. Mum is not too happy with your results."

"You owled mum?" he said surprised "Why would you do that!"

"Tattletale" Rob said covering his mouth and pretending to cough.

"For your information Mr. Dumbledore" Luna interrupted "Ginny has done no such thing!"

"It was Percy, wasn't he Fred?" George admitted.

"We particularly commend you for following our noble steps in your progress, but our beloved sister is right in this matter" Fred announced barely holding his laughter.

"Not!" both of them said.

Ginny harrumphed and took out her wand ready to hex Fred and George but a mocking voice stopped them all.

"There's no way in hell some _Gryffindors_ can win that tournament"

"Varenkov" Harry said shaking his head "Don't you have better things to do? Like torturing first year Hupplepuffs or skulk back there in your own table"

Behind her, several other Slytherins scowled angrily. Tanja Varenkov, surrounded by Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, towered by Viktor Valari and Marcus Flint, were all looking menacingly at the Gryffindor table. Several Gryffindors for higher years stood up behind the second years. Christopher McAllister, a sixth year prefect, had his wand lowered, but in a tight grip.

"Very Funny, Potter" Varenkov snarled "We will see how your jokes help you when we duel. I will tear you apart"

"That is if we do duel, Varenkov" he answered calmly, not too worried about the things that she was saying.

"So have you become _cowards"_ said another voice, coming from Draco Malfoy himself, who gave a quick wink unnoticed by everyone but Harry "Pity, I thought Gryffindors were supposed to have at least a tiny bit of courage."

"We merely chose not to dedicate ourselves thoroughly at such boring activities" Ron replied in what he thought was his 'professional' speech. He was then smacked in the back of his head by Hermione.

"Save yourselves the humiliation" Varenkov said "And don't enter the tournament. Who knows? Accidents do happen."

"Wouldn't want the _Golden _Gryffindors to injure, huh Dumbledore?" Theodore Nott spat at Rob.

Rob merely yawned.

"Why you!" Marcus Flint reached for his wand, but stopped abruptly when another voice rose above them.

"What in Godric's name is the meaning of this?" said Professor McGonagall from behind the Slytherins. Her lips were pursed and her eyes pierced through the scene.

"Nothing at all, Professor" Christopher McAllister said nonchalantly from behind them "We were just wishing our fellow Slytherin classmates good luck in Lockhart's tournament."

Harry's eyes found Draco and gave him a slight nod, again ignored by everyone, save Robert, Hermione and Ron.

"That's correct Professor McGonagall" Viktor Valari announced, eyeing the Gryffindors maliciously "We just were hoping for a fair fight"

"Very well" the stern woman said "Ten points to each house for camaraderie and sportsmanship. Now move along, I have some matters to attend with my students."

"Certainly" Valari said pushing his younger brother Ivan out of the great hall, followed closely by the rest of the Slytherins.

McGonagall glanced at the retreating students with a slight glare until they had left the hall.

"Mr. Potter" she announced "The headmaster would like to have a few words with you. _Privately"_

Harry looked at Robert who shrugged and prodded him to go on.

"Of course Professor"

* * *

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was sitting down at the headmaster's office watching the old wizard in half-moon spectacles in pure shock. Dumbledore seemed somewhat amused yet anxious of his answer, and his twinkle was shining in full force.

"What do you mean?" Harry croaked apprehensively.

"The situation with your… relatives has _changed._" Dumbledore answered crossing his fingers on top of his desk, as a bunch of silvery trinkets whirled and beeped all around his office. Even Fawkes was watching in anticipation. "It seems that your aunt has had, for a lack of better expression, an eye opener regarding, well, _you_"

"And _what_ exactly did she discovered" Harry whispered angrily. "For once she realized I am her _bloody nephew_?"

"I think it was something along those lines" the headmaster said serenely.

His voice was getting on Harry's nerves.

"My dear boy" he began "I am afraid… well… I have a confession to make, hoping that you would hear an old fool recognizing his mistakes and trying to make amends."

Harry was surprised at his revelation. Somehow he – and many people in wizarding Britain – thought of Albus Dumbledore as the epitome of light, nothing he said or did could be wrong. Just in that moment he really looked every bit as old as the century he carried on his shoulders. Having no response from Harry, Dumbledore continued.

"On the night of All Hallows Eve, in 1981, I was presented with a decision. For better or for worse I have been looked upon to make decisions, decisions that impacted every single wizard and witch that lives in this country. In that day, a little boy was recovered from the shambles of what had once been a beautiful house, full of life and joy. He was ripped from his mother, father and brother by a single man… a monster. Tell me Harry, what do you know of the war?"

Harry seemed to think about it for a few seconds.

"Well, actually not that much" Harry realized "I know Voldemort had many followers… the Death Eaters. And that they did many evil things."

"However, Harry" Dumbledore said "That is putting it lightly. You cannot begin to imagine the _fear_ the mere thought of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. There was nothing more terrible for a man or a woman than to return to a home, only to find the Dark Mark floating in the sky… evidence of pain and death."

Harry could only listen in rapt attention, trying to grasp the meaning. He had surely felt it, when they had been attacked. But to live in constant fear? That was something strange to him. He might have been careful when living with the Dursleys, but he knew they wouldn't really harm him… too much.

"The decision" Dumbledore interrupted his thoughts "Was what to do with the young savior of the Wizarding world, the proclaimed Boy-who-lived. Many raised their hands to claim you, hoping for a piece of the fame and the wealth that having you would mean. Do you realize this? To put it in other words, you would be treated how young Draco Malfoy or Theodore Nott are treated by their parents."

Harry couldn't help it but to be surprised. He knew the truth about Draco, but he had seen how the other Slytherins – and purebloods, no matter what house they came from – talked and behaved. They thought they were superior to everyone else.

"I think I understand that" Harry recognized.

"So many things happened in so short time, Harry" Dumbledore said "The Aurors were undermanned, the Ministry was in the verge of collapse and many Death Eaters were wreaking havoc, trying to find their master… and you."

"Me?" Harry said somewhat startled.

"Indeed" the old wizard said "They wanted revenge on the defeater of their master. And so, I decided to give you the best protection I could. You see, even if I took you here, you wouldn't be protected all the time, and I had many matters to attend during those years after the war. No, I couldn't take you myself. The Death Eaters were still in rampage, striking houses of know Aurors and enemies of the Dark Lord. So I gave you to the only relatives you had left. Professor McGonagall was adamant that it was the wrong place to leave you. But the protection your mother gave you… it's impeccable. You have seen it"

"Voldemort can't touch me" Harry realized, talking out loud.

"And that was the key… and so I erected special wards. These wards could only be made around a place you could call home, a place where your family lived in."

"Privet Drive…"

"And so I confess that I knew that you weren't treated as I would have hoped. You were underfed, and somewhat hurt, but you were alive. And if I must add, instead of making you angry it has made you humble. Call it a hope of an old man, but another person, knowing your fame and having lived without it since childhood, would have become arrogant and selfish, don't you agree?"

"Well… yes" Harry admitted "But _why_? Was there no other one to leave me with?"

"Alas, there was" Dumbledore said "Your father and mother had a close circle of friends, and they would have taken you, no questions asked. And you would have been raised happy and healthy. But it was not to happen. There were many unforeseen circumstances, and the ones that survived were not allowed to keep you."

"Why weren't they?" Harry demanded "Why couldn't they take me?"

"There are so many reasons Harry" Dumbledore said sadly "They were dark times. Of those who are alive, one I would never give you to, one was shunned and looked down upon by the Ministry, two other were… lost, and one was in more danger."

"But what does it matter that he was 'looked down upon'?" Harry asked.

"He had an illness and he couldn't take you" Dumbledore said.

"What is his name?"

"Remus Lupin" Dumbledore said "Was one of your father's closest friends, he still lives and I'm in contact with him."

"Why hasn't he come visit me?" Harry said in a mixture of anger and sadness.

"Because his illness got in the way" Dumbledore said "And before you ask, he is the only one that would reveal it to you. I won't betray his trust. But he was afraid – he still is – of what may happen to you if he were to take you."

"May I write to him?" Harry asked, almost begging.

"I will ask him, but I don't see why not" Dumbledore said with a soft smile "But we have strayed off topic. As I was saying, Petunia has asked you for a chance to communicate with you."

"I still don't get why"

"That is something that you should discuss with her" he said "For the time being, she acknowledged that you wouldn't want to exchange letters with her. But she was trying very hard Harry. He has been asking for you since last year when you didn't return home."

"Really?" Harry asked, befuddled. Why would her aunt ask for him? Hadn't she called him freak and all sort of nasty names before? Hadn't she given him all the chores of the house, clothed him with Dudley's cast offs and kept him in the cupboard?

"Indeed" Dumbledore said "I have also received news that her situation has changed."

"What situation?" Harry asked. He was getting more confused with each thing Dumbledore said. He couldn't stop shooting question after question.

"Ah" Dumbledore said taking something from a drawer of his desk "Perhaps with this letter you should understand a bit better. You should take special notice in her signature. It astounded me quite a bit, if I say so myself."

Harry took the envelope with a cursive script that could only be his aunt's. It didn't have stamps or anything of the like so it must have been sent by owl. But since when did his aunt knew or even had an owl to write to Dumbledore?

"May I take this to read privately" Harry said.

"Certainly my boy" Dumbledore said "But before you go… I have a question to ask."

"Ok…" Harry said unsure.

"I have already asked my grandson" the Headmaster stated "But I would like to hear your version as well. Is there a reason why your grades have dropped in your classes? I was under the impression you practiced quite a bit."

Harry had discussed their story with their friends, regarding what they would tell Rob's grandfather.

"Well, we are kind of laying low" Harry said shrugging "All the fame is getting… annoying. And we want to avoid needless confrontations. Robert said the O.W.L.'s and the N.E.W.T's are the exams that matter anyways."

"So I can trust that you aren't, how to put it" Dumbledore mused "Flunking due to lack of studying."

"No, sir" Harry said shaking his head "Would you like proof?"

"Certainly"

"On the condition that you don't tell anyone…_please_" Harry said gazing directly into the headmaster's eyes.

"You have my word" Dumbledore said.

"Is there some other way?" Harry asked "So you can't… you know, reveal this, to McGonagall, Flitwick, or worse Snape?"

Dumbledore seemed to think for a while which made Harry nervous.

"There is a spell…" the headmaster mused out loud "Yes perhaps it's a good idea."

He then pointed the wand at himself.

"_Custotiem Vertatem"_

"This spell will keep me from revealing anything until you lift it" Dumbledore said "To end it just say '_Finite incantatem'_, when you have revealed all you want to keep in secrecy. In order to do it, the 'guard' should willingly apply the spell. Not even th_e imperius_ or the _confunudus_ will force anyone to do it or reveal the secrets."

"Thank you professor" Harry said letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding "What would you have me do as proof?"

"Perhaps a second year spell" Dumbledore said leaning to the back of his chair "Surprise me Harry. I very much enjoy transfiguration."

Harry couldn't help but to smirk and without even holding his wand hi held a coin in his left palm.

"This is the bug we transfigured at the beginning of the year" Harry revealed "I use it as a good luck charm"

Dumbledore's eyes almost bulged out and the twinkle returned brighter than anything.

"But to maintain that transfiguration for so long…" he wondered "Do you reapply the spell every now and then?"

"Not at all" Harry said with a lopsided smile "And I'm not even the best at transfiguration. Hermione beats us all fair and square. No, professor, this is permanent transfiguration."

"Merlin's beard!" Dumbledore exclaimed, taken Harry by surprise. He had never seen the headmaster yell in such a manner "That took me my seven years in Hogwarts. Would you care to change it back?"

"Of course" Harry said. If anything his smirk grew more, and he muttered the incantation. They had even learnt to shorten the spell.

"_Cupio mutare bestia cessim"_

A slight glow coursed through his hand and the coin molded itself into a small bug.

"That… was…" Dumbledore struggled to find the words "Simply amazing! You astound me child. Well I will not doubt your studies. I will do all I can to help you lay low as you said. I trust Transfiguration isn't all that you have been studying?"

"Of course not" Harry said "And magic isn't all we are practicing… and although we don't have much time to practice in the morning, we do wake up very early."

"This is a pleasant surprise" Dumbledore said "When you're older you could pass on your knowledge. Even now you could help your peers."

"We have thought about it" Harry said "But it would call much attention. But you know… Voldemort will come back, won't he?"

Dumbledore's face darkened.

"I fear so" he said "very much. When the time comes, will you help the rest?"

"We still have to study a lot" Harry said "Maybe when we get better and understand it more. But yes… I think that we will begin helping in a few years… when we reveal what we can do."

"That is all I ask Harry" Dumbledore said smiling, like the weight he was carrying was suddenly lifted "That's all I ask."

* * *

Although the conversation with the headmaster had been disconcerting, Harry couldn't take his mind off the letter he was carrying. He had not returned to the Gryffindor common room, taking the route towards the Astronomy tower instead, and climbed to the roof. There he had spent several hours observing the envelope, under a soft breeze and slight warm from the sun.

"Penny for your thoughts"

Harry looked up and saw Robert sitting down next to him. He really did know he didn't like people pitying over him, and the young headmaster's grandson merely gazed upon the ground of Hogwarts.

"My aunt wrote me a letter" Harry confessed "Dumbledore said she's changed"

"But you think it's a load of bull?" Robert asked.

"I don't know what to think" Harry said sighing "I mean, she _is_ my aunt. But since I can remember, she had treated me worse than a house elf. How do I know she isn't telling lies or that she really is changed?"

"You can't know until you see for yourself mate" Robert said looking into his eyes. "Think of it this way. She is your family, the only one you've got."

"But you, Ron, Hermione, even Draco" Harry mused "You are all like my family. I don't think I need anyone else."

"I know Harry" Rob said "You guys really are like family too, and granddad is really a wonderful person to call a relative. But if I had a single person, someone who I was _related,_ someone of my own blood, I think I would like to give them a second chance. That's what _pops_ always says."

Harry let out a breath and pondered it for a short while, in which Halion and Hedwig had both dropped in next to them. Robert was caressing Halion's feathers absent mindedly, lost in his own world. Harry had always wondered what could Rob be thinking when he did that.

"Maybe you're right"

"Don't fret over it" Rob said, holding Halion on his arms and giving the falcon a slight push upwards so it could take flight "Read the letter, listen to what she has to say. Who knows, maybe something good will come out of it?"

"Yeah" Harry said looking at the letter "I think I will. Thank you mate. Thank you for listening to me."

"Hey that's what friends are for" Robert said "Not only to pummel you during training."

Harry rolled his eyes and mock-glared at him. His resolve was there, finally, and he opened the letter, frowning when he saw tear stains all over it, with some parts of the script blurred.

_Dear Harry:_

_I'm sorry._

_I do not know how to begin this letter. I know you won't want to hear what I have to say, and with good reason. Ten years of good reasons._

_Oh Harry, if I could only put in words what my heart feels now. I have wronged you in so many ways. What I have done is more than despicable, horrible! I just hope you have the heart to keep reading this letter. I can't believe how I was able to do all the awful things. _

_Lily! If she can see me from above, she will most likely be disappointed in me. Not angry, not fuming. That's just how she was, you know? I never talked to you about her. I don't think I ever have talked to anyone about her. But she was the most nice, forgiving and humble person in the whole world. She would have done anything to keep everyone around her happy. She even stopped visiting altogether just so I wouldn't be mad. How blind I was! How stupid!_

_And you are just like her… and that was the reason I couldn't bear to see you. You reminded me so much of what I have lost. But instead of embracing you as that, as the son of my beloved sister, I saw you as the survivor, and I felt like I despised you for so many years._

_But when they told me you weren't coming back, that you were gone… my heart stopped altogether._

_I had finally lost the last part of my family._

_You Harry._

_You were the only remaining part of my old family. God forgive me, I love Dudley, but he takes too much of his father. And your eyes, they are just like Lily's. _

_I have never felt more alone._

_Vernon did not take my change too well. He took Dudley and moved out after half a year. I just couldn't bear it. My heart was weighting me down, filled with guilt and sorrow._

_I finally understood… you are the only part of Lily that I have left. _

_Please Harry, the only thing I ask is to let me write to you._

_Love,_

_Petunia Evans._

Harry had to re-read the letter two more times, just to make sure it _was_ his aunt who was writing to him. It sounded nothing like her. But Dumbledore said she had changed. Here she was pouring her heart out like he had never seen before. Not even for Dudley she had spoken that way.

_You're the only part of Lily I have left._

"Are you ok mate?" Rob said, knowing how Harry's aunt had treated him since he was a baby.

_Love, Petunia Evans…_

_Evans…_

His mother's maiden name.

"I don't know" Harry answered, and passed the letter to Rob "See for yourself"

"Well she's not asking you to go back to her or anything" Rob said after a few minute.

Harry knew that. But his heart was in sorrow. He desired a family of his own more than anything on the world. However, he couldn't take out from his mind all mistreats, all the abuse, all the grief she had caused him. He remembered not being held while he was a toddler; he remembered being forced to do his laundry, to take care of himself without any help. Tears threatened to come out, and he couldn't hold them.

"It's ok" Rob said giving him and one arm hug around his shoulders "Let it out, no one is going to see you here. Just the two of us"

"I don't know what to do" Harry repeated, his mind was all a blur, confusion, sadness, sorrow, heartache. All these emotions crashed upon him.

"You don't have to do anything if you don't want to" Rob said "Look at least you won't see your cousin and his dad anymore. Something good came out of it."

Harry chuckled and nodded silently, cleaning the tears off his face. The two lone boys sat there in peace watching the sun slowly hide behind the mountains, having lost track of the time they spent there. Harry told Rob stories of how Dudley used to play 'Harry Hunting' and Rob for his part shared stories of how the kids on the orphanage would taunt him and hit him, especially Liam. But he told Harry he had seen Liam that day, his dead face looking straight into his eyes.

"I didn't like the guy very much" Rob said "But I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. Maybe you should make amends, you know? Before something happens and you can't see her anymore?"

Harry thought about it for a while, and sighed.

"Maybe I'll just write to her" Harry said "And take it from there…"

"That's great mate" Rob said.

Finally, the sun disappeared in the distance, and the night sky was filled with stars. Robert extended his hand and a small ball of fire came out of his palm, and he let it float a few feet next to them.

"It has been coming easier, hasn't it?" Harry asked looking at the floating flames "Every time I use one of the elements I feel it more, natural. I don't know how to put it in words. It's like it's…"

"…Part of you" Rob finished "Yeah I have felt it for some time. But the others haven't"

Harry then extended his hand and a small whirlwind blew in his hand, only visible because of the dust and dirt it carried. But it blew strong and it looked like it could burst out in any moment He then pushed it toward the flame Rob has summoned. The flame then lit up incredibly, roaring higher and stronger than it had been before. The intensity of the fire forced them to look away and cover their faces, but neither of them really felt the heat.

"What was that?" Harry asked finally able to look to the flame that was now swirling furiously.

"I don't know" Rob said frowning. "It looks like the wind made the fire stronger"

In that very moment, the two boys looked at each other, realization etched in their faces and they both nodded.

"I'll do water" Rob said.

"I'll do Air" Harry said.

Both them held one hand out and called the elements.

"_Vilya"_ Harry said.

"_Alu" _Rob added.

In their palms, a sphere of water and a sphere of air floated. They trembled, as if sensing each boy's anticipation. Together, Harry and Rob stretched their hands, pushing the elements together. At first they struggled, like a piece of a puzzle that won't fit. Both of them had to hold each of their hands with their free one and continued thrusting. Rob then made the water swirl faster, to match Harry's wind.

And then it just _clicked._

The temperature dropped incredibly and where there had been two spheres now only one floated made of…

"Ice" they both said in unison.

"Merlin's beard" Harry said "The elements can be mixed!"

"Try pushing more of your element in to it Harry" Rob said, his eyes shining in awe "I'll do the same, but direct it another way"

Both of them thrust their hands away from themselves. Harry took one breath, letting the feeling of the magic flowing through him and into the sphere of ice. But he also felt magic pouring into his body. Environment magic, a force that was ever present in the world, especially in places like Hogwarts.

At that very moment, when both of them gave the ice more power, a long spear of ice blasted through the air, coming out of the sphere. It had taken less than an eye's blink, almost instantaneous.

"That could do some serious damage" Rob said serenely.

"But it would take the two of us to do it" Harry said "Or maybe…"

"Well it was hard when we both did it" Rob said "It may be harder if we do it on our own"

"It still could be used" Harry said "If we got the others as distraction and we concentrate on the ice spear. There could be many things we could do with this"

"And imagine all the combinations!" Rob said excited, but then looked at the mess that the ice had made, when it had fallen to the ground. "Well maybe it's not the best time to try making new elements."

"Yea I guess so" Harry said "Wait until Hermione hears this, she will go bonkers"

"You think so?" Rob said smiling from ear to ear "No, she will _demand_ us to tell her how we did it"

"Every single little detail" Harry joked "That girl can be outright scary when she goes into study mode."

"More scary than Ginny?" Rob asked raising an eyebrow.

"No mate, that would be pushing it" Harry answered chuckling "I just don't want to be the recipient of any of the hexes she learns in the book."

"Giving them the book doesn't seem like a good idea now" Rob said scratching his head.

"But I prefer her being this way than before we gave it to them" Harry admitted.

"Yea"

"Rob, why do you think we are so different?" Harry said "I mean, from the others. Well you know we both were alone, we both have this strange eye powers and we can control the elements."

"I don't know mate" Rob said shrugging "You have that natural Legilimency power, though."

"And you got something else too" Harry said smugly and then talked with a creepy voice, imitating Voldemort "I know you have kept it hidden you can't fool me"

"Blimey mate that was scary" Rob said shaking his head "But can't you get it out of my mind with that Legilimency of yours, or the so-called Praeceptimency?"

"You know Occlumency too" Harry grunted "And I haven't completely got a hold of Praeceptimency and I wouldn't use it on you anyways. Now spit it out."

"Well, but don't tell anyone…" Rob said with a sigh "I can sometimes '_see'_ things before they happen"

"Like a seer?" Harry asked.

"No, not exactly" Rob answered "It's just like a few seconds early; I get a sort of warning. That's why I can see you when we practice and I'm able to stop you."

Harry blinked in astonishment.

"Drat mate" Harry said "That's amazing! It's a good advantage against anyone."

"I know" Rob said, as he stared into the night.

A few more minutes passed in a comfortable silence, as both boys sat down once again and gazed upon the stars.

"Rob, why can't you be my brother?"

Robert looked at him with a sad smile.

"I know mate, I wish you were my brother"

_**A/N:**_ Well here's the new chapter! Please R&R, its greatly appreciated. What do you think of Harry's and Rob's powers? Do you like the story? Anything, just Review =)

-LSGP


	13. The interhouse dueling tournament

**Chapter 13: The Inter-House Duel Tournament**

Luna Lovegood was not a normal girl. Since her mother's death she had confined herself into a fantasy world. At least she thought she was at the beginning, seeing strange creatures that nobody else could see. From early on she learnt to live with it, hiding it from everybody else, with a few minor slips now and then. Some people called her Loony, but she didn't mind.

Her father, attempting to give her a bit of normalcy had taken her to various doctors, who said that nothing was truly wrong with his daughter. Still, her father had not resigned and tried various ways to help her. He even joined her in her 'fantasy' world.

He had also booked music classes for her, which he started to find very entertaining from early on. What her father didn't know was that the creatures she saw reacted to the music, so she began playing more often. She absolutely loved the violin and her soft tunes would carry on in their house near Ottery St. Catchpole. When her father felt sad, Luna would play, bringing calm and peace to her father's heart, bringing tears, as he remembered his wife. He would embrace her and kiss her softly on the forehead.

"Little star, you light my day" he would say "Your mum is surely smiling from above/"

"And the little angels are with her?"

"Yes they are Little Star, and she watches us with them".

Soon, she realized her music didn't only help his father, but everything around her seemed to be listening to her. Little animals would crawl up in her garden to listen to the melodies, flowers would blossom around her and the sun shined just for her.

That was how she met Ginny, her greatest friend. She once heard the song, and told her it had helped her find her way, having been lost in the forest in the outskirts of the town. She had asked why she was so lonely at which he merely smiled.

"But I'm here with you, aren't I?"

"Oh" Ginny said beaming at her "That's true! Do you want to be me friend?"

"Yes!" she shrieked excitedly and hugged her "The Wrackspurts told me that you like apple pie, do you want some?"

Since that moment, the two of them were inseparable.

Then, Robert Dumbledore came. At first the Wrackspurts told her that he wasn't saying his true name but she didn't mind. Maybe he didn't know who he really was.

She remembered that Harry Potter and Robert were oddly similar. And both were very brave.

In winter break, before she entered Hogwarts the Wrackspurts told her that something bad would happen, but she didn't have her violin with her. She saw then Robert's eyes and she knew there was something living inside him, losing no time to tell Ginny.

Then for an entire year, they never saw them again.

They had changed, started hiding things. On top of it all, since that day at Diagon Alley when she touched Rob, she began to see things, weird images of things that hadn't happened. Sometimes she knew when a story would come out on the Daily Prophet

She hadn't told Ginny, but she had known of her confrontation in the Chamber of Secrets _before_ it happened. The Wrackspurts well telling her many, many things.

"Luna, say something please" Ginny begged her nervously. She had just revealed the events of that particular night.

Luna looked down, with a sad face, full of worry.

"I want to tell you something too" Luna said quietly "Promise me that you won't be mad?"

"I'd never be mad with you about anything" Ginny said honestly, giving her a friendly smile.

"Okay…" Luna said "I knew about what happened on the Chamber of the Secrets".

Whatever Ginny was expecting, that was not it.

"But… how?" she stammered.

"I… I…" Luna said; face looking down and tears falling down her cheeks "I can sometimes see things. Things that haven't happened, but most of the times it's all blurry. I… I was scared. I am scared Ginny" she said trembling.

Shock was written all over her face, then confusion.

"You knew?" Ginny asked in a whisper.

"Yes" the blonde girl answered "But I didn't know when it would happen or where. I didn't know what to do! I'm sorry Ginny, I'm so, so Sorry!"

She covered her face with her hands and sobbed, not able to contain her tears from falling down her cheeks. Ginny was her first friend and she didn't want to lose her because she thought she was 'Loony'.

"Since when is this happening?" asked Ginny, placing a comforting hand on Luna's shoulder. Luna looked up, her eyes red trimmed and watery.

"Remember that day?" she asked in a low, quiet voice "In Diagon Alley, when we found Rob, and Harry".

"When you touched Rob" Ginny said remembering perfectly that day. That when she realized her so called hero, the 'boy-who-lived' was far from perfect. "Did he do something to you?"

"No… but I think he knows what I saw" Luna said "Are you mad at me?"

"Never!" Ginny said hugging her "How can you believe that? I'm never stopping being your friend! Never, you hear me?" she asked with a playful laugh.

"Thank you" Luna whispered returning the hug with full force.

"So you are a seer huh?" Ginny said, loosening the embrace "That could be awfully useful… can you control it?"

"Not really" she said sighing "Haven't really thought about that"

"Imaging all that we could do" Ginny said, her gaze lost, looking into nothing.

"The wrackspurts say not to get ahead of things Ginny" Luna retorted with a smirk which Ginny answered showing Luna her tongue.

"So anyways" Luna said "Are you all right?"

"Now I am" Ginny answered "I'm happy I told someone. Do you think badly of me for not knowing better than to write in an evil diary?"

"Nope" Luna said placing her wand in her hair like a Chinese stick "Could have happened to anyone."

"Thank you" Ginny said whispering.

"No problem" Luna said, beaming at the red head "Now we should concentrate on these spells if we want to win the tournament. The Slytherins have many Crackletrusters in their brain, they won't play nice."

"What do those do?"

"They make you angry at everyone" Luna answered as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "Now… do you think this one could help?"

"No, that only works against Dementors" Ginny said eyeing the page on _The_ _Book_, as she leaned down in a comfy couch the Room of Requirement had provided them.

"Well we already know most of the defense spells of this year" Luna said "And those healing charms are very useful. But what else can we do?"

"I like _this one"_ Ginny said.

"Well you will really _blast_ your opponent with that one" Luna said looking worriedly at the page Ginny was reading "That is for sure."

The blonde they got a serious look on her face. Ginny instantly worried when she saw her eyes lost their focus and turned slightly white. Without a word, Luna turned many pages, not even looking at them. She stopped abruptly, startling Ginny. Luna then phased out of her trance and read the page.

"We will need this one" she said coldly.

* * *

"Welcome! Welcome All!" Lockhart said, his voice increased magically "To the First Hogwarts Inter-House Dual Tournament. Hosted by the 'Witch's Weekly' Most charming smile award winner… well, me of course! The categories, as you may already know are the following: First through Third year, Fourth and Fifth and the top category Sixth and Seventh. I thank our Headmaster Albus Dumbledore as well as the rest of the staff for their assistance, as they will be refereeing all the matches. The reason we are doing the tournament on our lovely Quidditch field, is the large response to our invitation. There will be three matches of each category at the same time in order and tomorrow we will have the 8 finalists of each category. Mr. Filch has set up various charts with the timetables, if it's your turn please report to the platform you were assigned! Good Luck! And May the best Wizard or Witch win!"

Cheering boomed in the stadium, were low stands were raised so the audience could watch the duels. They were nine, made out of wood, conjured by Dumbledore himself, and warded by Professor Vector, Babbling and Flitwick. It seemed that the whole school was attending, and there was excited chatter everywhere.

"Who's the favorite for Top Category" a Hufflepuff asked as Harry walked to the Gryffindor stand.

"I bet is Jennifer MacArthur" a sixth year Ravenclaw answered "I hear her brother is an Auror already! And she's very good at defense"

"Typical" a Slytherin answered with a scowl from behind them "You are all rooting for a _Gryffindor._ I bet Hadrian Nott can wipe the floor with her."

"What?..."

Harry merely shook his head, trying desperately to get to the charts. Rob walked with an unusual smirk and a sly look in his face. Behind them Ron and Hermione bickered as always.

"Would you two shut up?" Harry demanded earning a glare from the muggleborn girl. "Ah finally, let's look up our names."

The tournament had become the main topic not only in the school, but in the whole wizarding country. No event like this had been recorded since 1850 when one of finalist died on the hands of the other. Therefore, there was an incredible number of Aurors surrounding the premises, patrolling each of the duel platforms and the surrounding areas.

As Harry walked he heard one Auror talking to a brown-haired Gryffindor prefect girl. He was one of the survivors on the attack against the burrow before they started their second year and was obviously giving last minute advice.

Without noticing, Harry stumbled into someone, and they all stopped. It was a first year Hufflepuff girl they hadn't seen yet.

"I'm sorry" the girl said in a cute voice "I wasn't looking"

"No harm done" Harry said smiling, but as the girl continued, said smile faltered, switched for a confused frown.

"Did you see that too?" Robert said "There was something wrong with that girl…"

"Her eyes" Harry said "Her eyes were dark, pitch black for a moment there … be on your guard when dueling. I don't like this."

Hermione looked apprehensively at the golden haired girl with the badger's scarf, chatting with a few friends. But in a split second, the girl met her gaze and Hermione had to look away.

"Oh lord…" she said "There _is_ something wrong with the girl. I saw it too."

"Great, demonic little girls" Ron complained, scowling "Just what we needed"

"Change of plans" Harry said "Stop her at all costs… win the matches, not to obviously, but make sure at least one of us gets to her. Send the message to Draco."

"He says we have more problems" Ron replied after a couple of minutes "Says Varenkov is acting weird, too smugly he said. He thinks she knows something it's going on. He's following her right now."

"No one has noticed it…" Rob said "The Aurors are to calm, no one is _really_ on edge. It's the perfect time to strike if someone has infiltrated."

"Like I said… change of plans."

* * *

Ginny watched as her first rival climbed the platform. A few duels had already started, the most vicious being the Gryffindors who were fighting Slytherins. The rules prohibited dark curses and deathly spells, but she had seen the higher years attack just below the margin. She could see Jeffinfer MacArthur emerging victorious after her first duel on the top category. Cedric Diggory had just stunned Marcus Flint and Viktor Valari had petrified Josephine Deaborn.

Astoria Greengrass walked with an arrogant strut towards Ginny. She remembered liking the girl during her first ride on the Hogwarts express, but the Slytherin attitude had changed her.

"Hello, Weasley" she said "Ready to eat some _mud_".

"I doubt it Greengrass" Ginny said confidently.

"Start" said the referee, a tall, dark skinned Auror.

"_Densaugeo"_ Astoria yelled as an orange bolt flew from her wand. Ginny had expected her to try that type of hex and she dodged easily.

'_Land a hit on me and we will let you help'_ she remembered the man telling her just a couple weeks ago. And like he had said, she was determined to prove them her worth. Luna had been right with her and they recognized they were probably watching the tournament. She was going to give their best.

"_Expelliarmus"_ sent the Slytherin girl.

"_Protego"_ Ginny muttered, but regardless of the shield appearing in front of her, she still dodged. Not for anything her top subjects were charms and Defense.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!"_ she said with a swish and flick. She still wanted to keep her best spells for the last. And she had an ace under her sleeve of course.

The surprised Slytherin girl squealed in horror when she was levitated ten fourteen feet, and dropped her wand in her confusion. Ginny walked calmly and picked up her wand.

"Astounding use of the Leviosa Charm by Ginevra Weasley" an announcer said from one of the main stands "Reminds us that the simplest charms can do serious damage. Well done!"

Ginny walked towards Astoria, who was wailing with an Auror trying to comfort her.

'_Could she be afraid of heights?_' Ginny wondered.

"Are you ok, Tori?" Ginny said kneeling down beside her. The scared girl shook her head, unable to answer.

"Come on I will get you some butterbeer, make you feel better" Ginny said helping her up. Astoria watched her in a mixture of fear and surprise, but took her hand regardless. "Are you afraid of heights?"

"A little" Astoria muttered "I fell of a broom when I was six"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know" Ginny said honestly.

"Why are you being so nice?" she asked still confused.

'_So the Slytherins haven't screwed her mind completely_' Ginny thought.

"It's the right thing to do" Ginny said beaming at her "And I like you, you just started to hang out with people who don't like me very much, or any other Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff for that matter"

Astoria giggled lightly, and she walked with her towards the refreshment stand, placed there by Madame Rosmerta.

"That was incredible, by the way" Astoria said "Where did you learn to dodge like that."

"Three words" Luna said interrupting "Six older brothers. Are you okay? The Wrackspurts told me you didn't like heights"

Astoria just didn't know how to answer that, making a confused face.

"Have the Wrackspurts told you who's going to win, Luna?" Ginny asked slightly amused.

"Not even _they _know" Luna said "Do you think your sister will be mad if you hang out with us Astoria?"

The young girl looked down and eyed the Slytherin crowd.

"I hope not… look! It's your brother's turn, he's going against Neville!"

"Poor Ron" Luna commented "Neville has gotten good lately"

An indeed, when the Auror announced the beginning of the duel, Neville had already fired an _Expelliarmus_ against Ron. The red beam was flying straight to Ron, but just in the last second, Ron tripped and the spell flew away from him.

"Whoa!" Ron yelled with a comical face "Watch it Neville that almost hit me! I thought we were _friends_" he added with a sad pout.

Neville just didn't know how to react and raised an eyebrow.

"_Furununculus"_ Neville bellowed and yet another spell flew against the red-head Gryffindor who jumped sideways, shrieking like a little girl as the spell flew harmlessly towards the wards.

Fred, who was on the platform next to his brother stopped abruptly at the sound, his opponent lying down in a strange pose.

"Oi Ron! That is a _very_ manly shriek!" he yelled.

"I should remind you, Fred, that it was a _manly_ indication of great surprise, not a shriek!" Ron said indignantly. From the Gryffindor stands, Ginny saw Harry, Rob and Hermione sprawled against their seats rolling in laughter.

"They never take these things seriously" Ginny huffed.

"Perhaps you take them _too_ seriously?" Astoria retorted smirking.

"I don't think this should be a joke for them" Luna said absent mindedly "Especially Harry and Rob, being who they are; although everyone should have a bit of fun now and then. Oh look!"

In that same moment, Neville missed yet another spell. His left eye was twitching and his face was red as a tomato. Ron had dodged another _Expelliarmus _with an extravagant pose that resembled much one of ballet and his wand had fallen down. Neville smirked and took the opportunity. Ron had just recovered his wand when Neville fired a powerful _Stupefy_ that flew rapidly against the red-head. Ron made a gesture of a mix of shock and a wail, but right in that moment a rock appeared in the floor.

'Wait… _What?_' Ginny thought to herself.

In the very precise moment, Ron tripped with the rock, managed to miss the stunner spell and as he fell down and his wand sent a huge slug. Everyone stopped whatever they were doing as the invertebrate flew. Ginny saw it in slow motion and it would have been comical hadn't it been for what happened next.

Neville had been caught by surprise and didn't move. The slug struck him directly on the face, sending him flying out of the wards and to his defeat.

Nobody dared make a sound. The other low category duels had stopped in mid fight to see what had happened. The dazed Auror managed to shook out of his trance and proclaimed Ron's victory, as a howl was heard from the stands and everyone saw the 'Golden boy's' laughing their stomachs off.

"Merlin!" Harry bellowed "Its Ron Weasley, the magnificent slug hurler! Make way or he will slime you to death!"

"Weasley! Weasley Weasley!" Hermione and Rob chanted.

"Oh shut up!" Neville bellowed from his side of the platform, but he had an amused look on his face "You will pay for that Ron!"

"Weasley Weasley Weasley!" the chants increased, being joined by Harry.

"Would you please be QUIET?" Ginny said, glaring at the three of them. Ron quickly joined the trio, a sheepish smile plastered on his face.

"WEASLEY, WEASLEY, WEASLEY!"

"_Silencio!_" a voice shouted and Ginny looked dumbfounded as Astoria sent a hex against the four of them. Catching them by surprise, the four of them jumped away and crashed down the stands, falling to a tangled mess of limbs.

"Ron get your ugly foot off of my face!" Hermione bellowed, and she was the first to compose herself, not helping her friends to get up. With as much dignity she could muster, she dusted her skirt off and went to the middle duel platform.

"Oi! Hermione!" Ron shouted "A little help"

"I don't think so Ronald" she answered "I've got a duel right now, get out of the mess yourself"

"Go Granger!" Rob shouted from below Harry's knee, that was pinning him to the ground.

"This should be good" said Ginny.

"Yea it should…" Astoria said "I will see you later; Daphne is glaring at me already".

"Bye Tori" they both said.

"At least Hermione must know what she's doing" Luna commented "She's going against Nathanael Strauss. He's a first year, but they say his brother told him a few tricks. That's him right there." She added pointing an Auror watching the duel attentively. On the left side, Draco Malfoy had just beaten Colin Creevey with well-aimed _Impedimenta_, which was a fourth year spell at least, and he gave him an angry scowl as he got down the platform. On the right side the little Hufflepuff girl that Ginny has seen earlier had incredibly beaten Theodore Nott with a _Petrificus Totalus_ and she was skipping down the platform.

"Let's see what you got, _Granger"_ Nathanael said with venom in his voice. Various Ravenclaws had started to spite Hermione due to her fondness of beating them in most of the classes.

"Good Luck, Nathan" Hermione said with an innocent smile and a cute face as she bowed lightly, what nobody heard was a whisper she muttered under her breath "You will need it."

Nathan did not lose any time and after the initial bow, he pointed his wand at Hermione and with a flourish a red spell flew from his hand.

"_Expelliarmus"_

Hermione saw the spell coming and with an innocent smile she moved her wand and something came out. Ginny tried to make out what it had been but it was all so fast that she wasn't able to see anything, because just in that moment, whatever had come out of Hermione's hand exploded in a cloud of dust that spread in the platform. Before Nate had a chance to understand what happened, Hermione swished her hand again and the brown dust flew towards Nate, forcing him to close his eyes and mouth not to asphyxiate.

Not wanting to go out without a fight Nate started sending spells after spell towards the point he last had seen Hermione, but the bushy haired girl had raised her wand again.

"_Protego"_ she said clearly, and a red shield appeared, blocking a stray spell while the others missed by many feet. "I think it's time to end this game"

Nathan looked startled at the revelation that she was playing with him. But he rapidly recomposed and a fierce stare was plastered on his face.

"Bring it on!" he said sending and _Expelliarmus _towards Hermione. He was expecting her to shield against the spell and sent another one right away. What he didn't count with was that Hermione dodged both spells and started flourishing her wand in a complicated manner.

Ginny watched diligently the duel, having forgotten the rest (George had just beaten a Ravenclaw girl she didn't know and Hadrian Nott was releasing Oliver Wood from his _Incarcerous_) and frowned when Hermione started swishing and flicking while dodging.

"What is she doing?" Ginny asked out loud.

"I think she's deciding what to do" Luna commented.

However, Hermione stopped abruptly, as another spell missed her, and she muttered a single word that Ginny didn't quite catch.

"I win" she said smirking.

"Excuse me?" Strauss said with a frown in his face and just when he was about to send another spell, he stumbled, falling straight down face-front to the ground. The boy struggled to get up, but his shoelaces had been knotted together and his trousers changed into a single piece of fabric, rendering the Ravenclaw unable to move his legs freely. His arms had been stuck together in a similar manner to his torso, and his wand had fallen a few feet away.

"And the winner is Hermione Granger of Gryffindor!"

"Granger! Granger!" the voices of Harry, Ron and Rob were heard above the announcer.

"What an astounding show of transfiguration for a second year!" the announcer said louder "Our Professor McGonagall must be quite impressed at the moment, well done!"

Ginny had to give it to the bushy haired girl, she was very good at transfiguration and she had dealt with Nathan swiftly and didn't boast her victory, merely blushing when she sat down next to Ron and Harry.

Ginny started walking around the platforms, watching the higher-category duels. She was only concerned for Luna's duel against Crabbe but it had ended quickly when the bumbling boy hexed himself.

"_Impedimenta!"_ she heard the voice of her brother Percy bellow as he sidestepped a yellow hex from Mulciber. He had a determined look on his face that she recognized instantly. It was the one he showed when he would do anything in his power to win. The only time she had seen him get beaten at something when he got that look was when he played Chess against Ron. And for some reason, no one could beat Ron at Chess. Thus, she had complete confidence in his brother.

A few platforms away, an Auror had to intervene when Viktor Valari had sent a vicious hex to a Hufflepuff girl, who was bleeding profusely from her nose and Courtney Zabini had beaten Charles Williamson with a_ Reductor _that barely missed the Gryffindor sixth year, but that sent him several feet away from the platform.

"That has got to hurt" she heard Cho Chang tell one of her friends.

"The Second round will begin in a few moments! Everybody to the designated areas for your category"

Ginny rushed pass the older students and quickly made way to the group of low years crowded near the chart. She recognized the long blonde hair of Luna and walked next to her.

"Hey Ginny" Luna said before she could even see her "Looks like we both made it." She added beaming at her. Ginny returned the smile, but focused on the charts, that were barely visible because of the crowd gathered. She did notice, however, that neither her brother nor his friends were around them.

"They all passed too" Luna said in her dreamy voice "I didn't see their duels, bur both Harry and Rob won too."

"I wasn't looking for them" Ginny said fighting successfully the blush that was beginning to show on her face.

"The wrackspurts never lie Ginny"

She frowned that moment. She was most certainly _not_ looking for _them_.

"And that blush sure gave you away" said Persephone, who was next to Luna "I can't believe I lost to Zabini."

"You're joking!"

"Nope" she said with a disappointed voice "The nasty little bugger disarmed me before I could even remember what to cast. Susan was a little mad with me."

"Don't worry, you'll get better" said Caroline. "At least you didn't have to fight that Macnair girl. She's really vicious… and she's only a first year!"

"What were the other duels?" Ginny asked "I was watching the higher categories"

"Well, Potter beat Parkinson" Caroline said "It was over before I could even see anything."

"And Rob won against Hannah Abbott" Persephone said "No one knows what happened. Somehow he managed to mess up a _Lumos _spell and he blinded the whole crowd. The poor girl didn't see where she was going and fell from the platform."

"Well that's…."

"Unexpected?" Carol asked.

"Boring?" Persephone added.

"Sad?" Luna piped in.

"I was going to say lucky… but any of those _do _apply." Ginny said absent-mindedly "Oh blimey I go against Susan."

"And I have Zabini" Luna said with a dreamy look on her face, without a care in the world.

* * *

"How is it going, Albus" asked an old, chinese man, who had showed himself silent as a calm breeze in the summer. The Headmaster, however, did not seem startled at his sudden arrival. His blue eyes were swiftly surveying the scenery before him, ever watchful of his students, checking for any kind of threats.

"The Phoenixes are positioned and standing by" Albus said without taking his eyes from a particularly vicious duel between Cedric Diggory and Lucian Bole in which the valiant Hufflepuff had just used an _Incarcerous _in the unsuspecting Slytherin. "Your _colleagues_ are ready, I presume."

"Losing confidence, old friend?" the chinese man said chuckling "That is rather unbecoming of you Albus."

"I'm not trying to disrespect you, Shen" the headmaster answered gravely "It's the safety of the future of our world that it's at stake here. We have no idea what have they planned and I'm not taking any risks if they do manage to infiltrate."

Shen was not taken aback, nodding at Dumbledore's speech.

"Is Aberforth joining us today?" Shen asked

"His people are ready as well" Albus said "There can be no margin of mistake here, it doesn't matter what the Enlightened have to say."

"Ah, the Wizard High Council, always above everything and everyone, even of the ICW. I think that such responsibility has fallen to them for too long. And with our ages that is saying something." Shen said as he watched a Slytherin bumbling boy lose his weapon to Luna Lovegood in a rather complicated manner "Yet, we are defying them."

"These are just precautions" Albus said "Hopefully, the rumors brought by Remus will not come true."

"But the air is not calm" Shen said taking a deep breath "I can feel it, tense. This feeling is new, yet not so much. My magic reacts to it, as if remembering, but I cannot recall where I have felt this. It is as if the air around me was wary, looking for something."

"Could it be dangerous?" Albus asked, distracted for a second "An Air Master not at ease with his element is not usual. It is not a good omen."

"Indeed" Shen said, letting out a deep breath "There's a force here at work that I do not understand. Better be prepared."

Just in that moment, a first year Hufflepuff, by the name of Emily Ryan managed to defeat Hestia Carrow as if it was nothing. The Slytherin girl had been surely trained in dueling during the summers, of that, Dumbledore had little doubt.

It was unexpected, but not entirely shocking. Some muggleborns did have natural talents in certain areas of magic. It was something he had always tried to communicate since he was a teacher, and later as the headmaster. His best example was Hermione Granger, who had just transfigured a rock into a slippery soap, making Milicent Bulstrode trip and lose her wand in the process. Albus could not deny she had a natural talent in transfiguration, just as Harry had told.

His trail of thoughts, however, was suddenly interrupted when a man quickly approached the headmaster's seat. He was taking deep breaths, gasping for air from the run he had just taken.

"Take your time, Remus" Albus said, his face etched with concern.

"N… No ti.. time" the sandy-haired man managed to blurt out. His tattered clothes were hanging loosely on his frame "V… Vam… Vampire… on Hogwarts"

Albus Dumbledore rose so swiftly that, if not for his wrinkled face and long, white beard, he would be compared to a young athlete.

"Shen, prepare your people" Dumbledore whispered to the old man next to him "Remus, warn the others, and tell them to be ready to engage at any moment. Get the children to safety, that is out top priority."

"Yes, Albus" he said, and ran towards a pink haired Auror stationed next the top-category platform.

* * *

"And that ends the last elimination process. The Drafts for the finals will be shown in the scoreboard in a moment's notice. Please, non-contestants remain on your seats." The commentator said from his podium.

"I can't believe how _those_ four won" Ginny said flustered "They didn't even make any effort!"

"Well, they did say that the tournament wasn't really important for them" Luna said trying to calm down her friend.

"But _look_ at them"

"We are Ginny" Persephone said tiredly, clearly not looking at Ginny's brother and his friends. "Very annoying, really."

"Just go see the draft Ginny" Caroline said "Maybe then you can show them. You could even be paired with your brother, and then you could teach him a lesson"

Ginny smirked and her chocolate eyes shined with mirth.

"That ought to catch her attention" Caroline told Persephone dismissedly. "I bet Ron's beaten in the first five minutes"

"I wouldn't be so sure… he is fighting Varenkov, the wrackspurts told me" Luna said dreamily.

"Drat, I wanted to see those two have a go at each other" Colin said as he sat next to Caroline.

"No way" Neville said from a few seats behind "Those two would completely destroy the platform. There wouldn't even be any rubble left."

"Point taken" Colin said nodding.

Ginny came back running with a serious look on her face, followed closely by a dreamy Luna that might as well have been picking flowers in a spring day, not about to engage in a wizard's duel.

"I'm going against Emily Ryan" she said calmly.

"Well she has won pretty easily" Persephone said "She might surprise you"

"I'm paired with Draco" Luna said smiling "He did seem to glare at me more than usual."

A goosebump crept through Ginny's spine, and she trembled as a chilling wind blew harshly. She then walked a couple steps away from her friends, dragging Luna with her. She had remembered what Luna had said about the spell they would need.

"Luna, did you feel that?" Ginny said with concern.

"Yes I did" she answered with an unusually quiet voice "I think something is going to happen. Look, there are some people with the headmaster."

Ginny gazed to the direction Luna was pointing. On the main stand, Dumbledore was talking in rapid whispers to several men she had not seen before. Most of them had a somber look on her face. She had to turn around when one of them, who had a missing eye replaced by a blue orb, glanced upon her.

"The Aurors look startled too" Luna said "Do you remember the spell Ginny?"

"Yes of course" she answered "You made me practice it all night remember?"

"Use it when the time comes" she said worriedly as she looked directly at Ginny's eyes. The red-head merely nodded.

* * *

"Did you bring it Harry?" Hermione asked on the verge of panic as she saw Harry get out of the invisibility cloak.

"Relax Hermione" Ron said placing a hand on her shoulder, but taking it off when the brunette glared at him "Of course he brought it, that's the reason he left in the first place."

"Are you sure it's going to work like you said?" Harry asked unsure if the package he had brought would be of much help.

"Are you _doubting _me?" Hermione snarled "Of course it's going to work. The question is who will use it."

"And decide fast, we need to hurry" a voice said. A second later, Draco materialized from the shadows to the spot under the stands they were hiding in. "There is something happening out there already. Anyways, it shouldn't be me, in case my hood falls off or something. I can't risk be seen fighting alongside you Gryffindors."

"There's someone moving to the castle…" Rob announced eerily "It's moving _very_ fast."

"Do you know what it might be?" Harry asked.

"Whatever it is, it has evil intentions" Rob answered.

"Well, there we have another problem… no one else has moved to the castle" Draco said "They have no idea… I think I will go after that thing, whatever it is."

"I'll go with you" Rob said "We don't need to take unnecessary risks, and the teachers and Aurors are out here. Draco and I can cover our backs."

"Ok then" Harry said "Be careful, both of you."

Draco and Robert nodded, before disappearing into thin air.

"Well, that leaves the three of us" Ron said.

"We still have to decide who will use…"

"I will" Ron said, with a determined look on his face.

"Are you sure, mate?" Harry asked, receiving a serious nod from his friend.

A loud, chilling shriek was heard then throughout the grounds of Hogwarts, drawing the attention of the three younglings. They looked at each other worriedly, but with determination, they nodded.

"It has already started" said unnecessarily Ron.

* * *

Nymphadora Tonks watched warily the dueling platform as a fourth year Slytherin hexed viciously a fifth year Ravenclaw girl. She could almost see the anger in the eyes of the boy as he enjoyed how boils started to erupt on the girl's face. On the other side of the field, she saw how Remus ran back towards Kingsley, a senior Auror sent as security detail. The Werewolf looked startled. She didn't like it one bit.

She eyed a figure covered in a dark green cloak frowning. Tonks didn't understand what _they_ were doing here, but if Dumbledore had called for help, this was going to get ugly. They could barely stand each other, much less work as a team.

A man with a yellow cloak she didn't recognize approached the main stand and after exchanging a few words with Dumbledore, the man ran to the other side of the field, only to disappear of the sea of students.

'_Them _ as well?' she questioned herself . Her previous analysis had been an understatement. Things were going to hell.

However, something caught her attention, and the entire crowd's. A little girl, couldn't be older than twelve, with the Hufflepuff uniform, walked calmly to one of the main platforms, reserved for the High-Category duels, between Seventh and Sixth year students.

"What in Merlin's name" she muttered.

The girl then extended her hand, which had a little sphere of pure black color. The sphere then flew upwards until it was twenty feet high. Everyone froze and looked to the weird object and glances changed from the girl to the little black sphere. Several Aurors mobilized and started approaching the platform. The students then took a good look at the girl. That's when panic started.

Her eyes were devoid, filled with pure black and her mouth formed an evil smirk. The girl, Emily Ryan, looked up and muttered some words. The black sphere grew larger and started spinning. Then, several thick wisps of smoke flew from the sphere and landed softly on the ground as ten cloaked men materialized, their faces covered by hoods. A shriek came from the crowd of students, and all hell broke loose. It was a stampede of teenagers that tried to escape from the newcomers.

Two of the attackers held black staves, with a blood red ruby at the tip. With muttered words, a black spell flew from them towards the fleeing students, and another flew upwards into the sky. A red shield appeared, covering a young girl who had fallen behind, protecting her from the spell. One of the Aurors stepped forward, aiming his wand at the attackers. But with astounding speed the cloaked men vanished only to reappear ahead of the children who were running towards the castle, forming a circle around them.

"Well, well" the girl said. But her voice wasn't her own. It had become higher and hoarser, like a hiss of a serpent. "Isn't this such a lovely event? We have your children surrounded, Dumbledore" she said turning to the main stand "You _will_ fulfill our demands, or you will have a massacre on your hands."

"Who are you" the headmaster said approaching the girl "What do you want with the children."

"I'm the Lord of Terror" the girl said with an evil smirk.

* * *

**A/N: I know it has taken WAY too long, but I have been extremely busy with work, extra hours and such. This chapter may seem kind of rushed, but I have hit several writer blocks while writing it. I thank you for your reviews and it would be really nice if you could tell me what you think of the story so far. So, thanks for reading. I will start working on the next chapter ASAP.**

**Please R&R.**


	14. The Lord of Terror

**Chapter 14: The Lord of Terror**

"Whoever that is it's moving way too fast" Rob said stretching his senses as far as he could, at the same time he and Draco sprinted at full speed towards the castle.

"Take off the blasted weight spell" Draco said when they neared the castle's entrance stairs "We need to catch up".

Rob took out his wand and aimed at the blurry, disillusioned figure of Draco, ending the charm that made their clothing heavier. He then pointed at himself repeating the process, relaxing as the weight was lifted. The effect was instant, and the two boys gained speed.

"It's moving on the shadows!" Rob said when he felt the presence disappear, only to appear again further in one of the hallways on the second floor. He felt a chill when he recognized where the presence was heading.

"I know where it's heading" Rob said thanking that there was no one on the castle to hear a bodiless voice "The chamber! They want to get to the chamber!"

"Quick, grab my arm" Draco said, and as Robert complied, he felt a sudden cold that surrounded him as they jumped into a shadow. The world turned darker and walls and hallways flashed before his eyes at a tremendous speed, only to reappear at the doors of Myrtle's bathroom. It had been so fast that Robert hadn't even seen what had happened.

A sudden crash was heard on the distance and the two boys, now visible, watched each other in dread, hoping that their friends were all right. Coming out of their stupor, they raised their wands and entered the bathroom.

The chamber's entrance was already open and they descended as fast as they could.

"Silence our feet" Draco said "We need to catch them off guard"

"_Silencio_" Rob muttered as they both got to the entrance hall.

"There is someone here" Rob said pointing at a man that was walking slowly towards the main hall. "But he's not the one I felt".

"I thought everyone was outside" Draco whispered harshly while they crept around the shadows to avoid getting seen.

The two of them entered the main hall hiding behind the statues as the man walked much too obviously towards yet another figure who was observing the colossal image of Slytherin and the fallen remains of the basilisk.

Rob and Draco finally got close enough to hear what was happening.

"Well, well" said the man in a pompous voice "Look what we got here. It seems that I have found the so called Heir of Slytherin trying to unleash the monster. Only, it has been already defeated! How wonderful, I can get credit for both deeds"

Rob and Draco watched in shock as the words came out of their Defense teacher. However, the figure paid no attention to the man as it observed the basilisk.

"I think you did not hear me" Lockhart said "But it doesn't matter I…"

At that moment, the cloaked figure leaped up and graciously fell in front of the entrance of the hall where they had found the hammer. A chilling shriek was heard from inside, and Lockhart took two steps back. Sounds of battle rumbled on top of the chamber letting dust fall down to the ruined hall.

The unknown person walked slowly out of the back chamber, huffing in obvious rage.

"Who opened the chamber?" the person asked. Draco gasped in recognition, but he couldn't believe who it was.

"My, oh my" Lockhart said waving his wand ridiculously "I can't believe this. If it isn't Miss Varenkov! You have been a bad, bad girl… but, wait" he said frowning "Did you just ask who opened the chamber? I thought you just did!"

"I will not ask again" she said lowering her hood, revealing her dark, long hair, and piercing blue eyes. They were taken completely off guard when, she opened her mouth slightly revealing a pair of fangs. "Who opened the chamber, and where are its contents!"

Lockhart had the intelligence to back down a step when he realized she was a vampire.

"How was someone – _something - _like you allowed in Hogwarts?" Lockhart said in obvious disgust "You are with the ones on the field aren't you?"

"Enough of this nonsense!" she said drawing a long, menacing looking katana from inside her cloak "I have no time for this".

Lockhart, sensing that the not-so-innocent girl was about to attack him, attempted to aim his wand at Varenkov, but the vampire had already appeared in front of him. The blonde teacher gasped as he saw the girl leaping up to strike him, and he stumbled back, falling down.

But before the deadly swing fell, Lockhart saw another person appearing out of thin air. He was covered in a brown, long tunic, his hood raised. On his mid-section he had a white sash belt, and on his chest, he wore a leather black sleeveless shirt inside his tunic. Diagonally, across his torso, another white belt, made out of leather, held what could only be a staff on the man's back.

In a split second the man had taken out the staff and blocked the blow from the vampire. Varenkov was then forced to somersault back, landing graciously on the chamber's floor, just in front of the basilisk's corpse.

"_Sectumsempra"_ another voice bellowed, followed by a long gray arc of magic energy that was flying directly at the Vampire, who was forced to jump back once again, avoiding the force of the spell. The walls, however, took the full force of the curse and a vertical slash was formed, sending dust and debris flying away.

Lockhart saw perplexed as another man in the same attire shimmered into view as a disillusionment spell broke. The man was holding an Axe, and had apparently struck the ground with it. That was magic like he had never seen before.

"That is not the way to treat your Professor, Miss Varenkov" said the first man in a deep voice "Mr. Lockhart, I ask kindly to stay out of this."

"Certainly" the bumbling man said from his spot on the ground as he backed away from the vampire. He wasn't about to oppose the man that had just saved him. But as he backed down, a smirk formed on his face.

"Who are you?" hissed Varenkov "You will pay for defying the Snake Lords. However, I will have mercy and spare you if you return what you stole."

"That is a nice speech you gave" said the man with the staff "But I'm afraid I will have to choose the second option and ask you to surrender to the Aurors."

The Vampire chuckled and an evil smile formed on her face, showing her fangs to the two strangers.

"I will give you another chance" said Varenkov "Give me the weapon or I _will_ kill you. You should know my master is here and he will do worse things to the students if he doesn't get what he wants."

The two strangers looked at each other in distress.

"Funny thing is" the man with the staff said "We don't even have it here. You see, we already gave it to whom it truly belongs."

The vampire snarled angrily and took out too long knives.

"Then I see no sense in letting you live"

In a split second, the young looking girl had spun rapidly, and two daggers went flying, one towards each of the hooded men. The man with the staff quickly dodged it while the man with the axe blocked it with his weapon. However, the vampire had appeared behind the latter holding one of her knives, ready to slash the unsuspecting man. What she didn't see was the red spell that the second man had already sent, which she dodged the last second, enabling the first man to turn around and swing the axe towards the girl. But the vampire had disappeared again only to reemerge behind the second man who easily blocked her attack using his staff.

Neither men were expecting another two daggers flying from another place, and barely dodged them. And so, their hoods fell. The vampire backed down with shock plastered on her face.

"Fancy meeting you here, Varenkov" said Robert with a scowl on his face as the illusion that Hermione had done to make them look older and taller vanished with their hoods.

"I knew you weren't to be trusted" Draco said "But a vampire? Well that's a bit unexpected"

"_Dolens Nexeo"_ was the vampire response as a dark red spiral flew from her long knives towards each of the boys.

"_Tinechor" _Rob said, holding his staff in one hand and placing the other sideways against it. A blue disk appeared in front of him and absorbed the impact. Draco, for his part, had slashed the axe vertically, and as if charged by a great force, it sent an invisible bolt of energy towards the vampire.

"_Sectumsempra"_

The force of Draco's curse had been such that the red spiral split as the curse advanced towards the vampire, who turned on her spot and vanished again. The two boys then stood back to back, waiting for Varenkov to reemerge.

"Why are you doing this Tanja?" Draco asked to the air "Why does a girl like you who is barely thirteen, help the likes of those Snake Lords?"

His response was in the form of at least twenty daggers flying rapidly from everywhere.

"_Vilya: Tinechor Pela!"_ said Rob, striking the ground with his staff, creating a swirling vortex, which diverted the daggers.

"Who said anything about me being a 'thirteen year old girl' Malfoy?" Varenkov asked as she reappeared in front of the Slytherin boy, holding both long knives with her arms crossed, as they emitted a purple glow.

"_Mor'Kaal"_

The girl then slashed both knives diagonally, sending the dark purple curses at both boys. Reacting rapidly, Rob and Draco struck the ground once again two shields appeared between them and the curses. But the spell had such force that they were both lifted several feet from the ground, and they crashed against the wall of the chamber.

Varenkov walked towards Draco, an evil smile on her face. Her fangs were showing as she licked her lips with barely contained enthusiasm. Slowly, she grabbed the blonde's head and raised him. Her fangs were just a few inches from the boy's neck…

"_Obliviate!"_ A voice screamed from behind her.

The vampire hadn't been expecting another attack, since Robert hadn't recovered from the fall. But she had completely forgotten the Defense professor, who had been hiding in a statue watching the fight.

The force of the spell sent the vampire flying several feet away.

"Well it was about time that I _actually_ got to be the hero of my own story" he said laughing to himself. "Better not take risks. _Incarcerous_"

Ropes flew from his wand and twisted along the girl's body. Meanwhile, Draco had groaned as he regained consciousness.

"So the ever-cold Slytherin is actually a Vampire" Lockhart mocked with a spring on his step as he paced side to side in front of the girl, whose eyes were unfocused "I figure I would get at least an Order of Merlin out of this, don't you think?"

"Huh?" the girl groaned as she crunched her eyes, trying to focus her sight.

"Never mind, what would you know now?" the pompous man added chuckling "Let's see" he said holding his chin in his hand "What would my next book be titled…. Perhaps '_The Mystery of the Chamber'_. Yes, its sounds perfect… now… if you would."

"_Expelliarmus"_

"_Incarcerous"_

In a split second, the man flew a few feet while his wand was launched to the extended hand of the now awake Robert. As he got up, a long rope surrounded him, binding him to the ground.

"So this is your secret, Lockhart?" Draco said with an angry scowl "You actually steal the tales of other people."

"You wouldn't understand" Lockhart pleaded as he realized the situation he was in "They were boring people, ugly as a potato! They would never make their story shine as I did."

"You still had no right to erase their minds" Robert said and he suddenly had an idea, as a smirk formed on his mouth.

"Perhaps we should give the Professor a taste of his own medicine"

"No!" Lockhart yelled in anguish "You wouldn't dare! Who are you, demon children, how can you do the things you do?"

Draco took a few steps forward, leaning until his face was inches away from the startled professor.

"We could tell you" Draco said, but he raised his wand to Lockhart's forehead "But you will forget either way, so why bother?"

"_Obliviate"_

* * *

Harry knew they had to move fast. They were too far away from the fight.

The platforms were shrouded in darkness from the spell that the first man with the cloak had sent to the sky, separating the children from the audience on the stands. He could hear Ron and Hermione running behind him towards one of the attackers.

Their first count had been way off, as another ten appeared out of nowhere, surrounding the mass of students that cowered to the center of the pitch. The Aurors could barely contain them, while also trying to defend them from the attackers, who were most likely toying with them.

However, Harry knew the vampires wouldn't expect an attack from behind, since they were already covered. He risked a glance towards Dumbledore, who stood facing the demonic girl. He had never seen the Headmaster exhibiting so much power. His eyes didn't hold their usual twinkle, but untamed fury and determination. But he could also see that he was worried, his forehead frowning, full of wrinkles. He kept glancing outside, as if waiting for backup.

"Lord of Terror, you say" Dumbledore repeated "What brings you here? What are these demands? I daresay, that you are forgetting that we had a treaty"

"I shall not budge to any _treaty_" the girl screeched in demonic voice.

"So you have brought your murderers to face a group of student to break it?" Dumbledore said defiantly "I'm afraid I will have to take some action."

And with that, several flashes of fire started spreading on the circle, surrounding the students. After they diminished, a single person stood where a fire had been. They were split in three groups, each with a red, green or yellow cloak.

"I ask you to retreat now, before we take drastic measures to protect our children."

"It looks like you have brought the cavalry" the Dark Lord said "Perhaps we ought to see how they fare against my Death Angels."

"This doesn't make any sense" Harry heard Hermione mutter "Why would they attack like this when the entire wizarding world is watching? They should know that there would be Aurors. And who are those people? The ones in red, yellow and green."

"Perhaps… this is just a distraction" Ron said "Like in chess, you move your best pieces, but a mere pawn could get the Checkmate"

"That would mean it depends on Rob and Draco to stop the infiltrator" Harry said "Oh no… it's about to start"

The new arrivals formed a circle around the students, and the ones in yellow rose their wands and a barrier formed. Harry was surprised then when the green-cloaked ones took a fighting stance, wielding a variety of weapons, one of which caught immediately his attention.

"_Kataigida_" he said "Cyrus is here… that means,"

"Lynette, Shen and Howard are here too" Hermione said "Yes! There she is I can see her sword."

The red cloaked ones took another stance, each of them with two wands.

'_They were obviously prepared'_ Harry thought '_That means Dumbledore suspected about this. But who are these people? Should we interfere or something?'_

"Let's see how they do" Ron said "But we can stay hidden and take out the most isolated without being detected. That way they won't know we are even here and we will be able to help".

The deadly silence that had formed between the two factions was suddenly broken, as a clang of swords was heard. Ten of the attackers had vanished and appeared suddenly in front of the green cloaked ones. They had struck with such force that most of the green ones had skidded several feet back while being pushed by an attacker. A spell then flew between the first lines and struck the shield that the yellow cloaked ones had formed.

"_Ghaash: Furtun" _said a voice, deep and eerie, above the noise. Black flames flew from the staff of one of the Death Angels, as their leader had called them.

"_Alu: Aqua murus eius"_ another voice commanded as a great wall of water stood in the path of the flames. A green-cloak had finally pushed one of the Death Angels back and had barely managed to complete the incantation. Just then, the attacker reappeared behind the green-one only to be forced back by a double spell sent from the line of the red-ones.

"I know that sword" Harry said as they approached one of the Death Angels, who were sending curses at the shield protecting the children "It's the one of the Vampire that attacked the Burrow!"

"Wait a second" Hermione said "I remember reading something in The Book. The Vampires are very strong and move really fast, but even more when it's dark."

"So that sphere it's not only shielding us from the outside" Ron said looking up to the sky "It's making them stronger!"

"Hermione" Harry asked concerned "Do you know what _that_ is?"

"No idea" she answered as she dodged a stray spell that had rebounded from the fight "But there's no time to look in the book now."

"At the same time… wait for my signal" Harry said as they closed in on one of the Vampire who was sending spells to the dome-shield. From that distance he could count how many there were. Ten were fighting against the green cloaked ones muggle style, while another eight used their wands trying to weaken the shield and attempting to get the red-ones. The remaining two each wielded a staff, one launching spells directly to the shield and the other dueling with black flames. In that moment a loud crash was heard as several red cloaked ones were sent flying.

"Now" Harry hissed.

"_Incarcerous"_

"_Petrificus Totalus"_

"_Stupefy"_

In the midst of the fight, nobody noticed that one of the attackers had fallen, bound and petrified. The three Gryffindors quickly disillusioned again. The red ones had begun answering spell fire, but the Vampires were too fast. In the blink of an eye, one of the attackers had broken through and in a swift move had struck his sword on a green cloaked man, only to vanish instantly and reappear several feet away and slice diagonally a red cloaked.

"Scarletti" Harry muttered angrily.

"Let's move" Hermione said in a shaky voice "We need to help them, fast".

They quickly approached another Vampire who was sending curses at the yellow shield, but just as they were about to strike, the Vampire turned abruptly, his wand trained at them.

"_Stupefy!" _The three of them bellowed.

The vampire fell hard on the floor, but the damage had been done and the other vampires noticed. In a split second, one of the vampires on the front line had appeared in behind of Ron, a deadly looking sword on its way towards him. But just as fast, Hermione had drawn her own sword and blocked the vampire and Harry finished blasting the Vampire away. Just then, a bolt of lightning flew towards them but Ron put his hands on the floor. A wall of stone erupted from the ground, blocking the bolt and a big rumble was heard across the fields.

* * *

"So we have newcomers" the Lord of Terror said in his disembodied voice "Yet, you will only be remembered as the fools who tried to distract me. Kill them."

There were at least seven other vampires on the back line but four were dueling with a red cloaked man each. From the ten swordsmen only seven remained but four green cloaked had fallen defending.

Cyrus watched under his green hood how three unknowns appeared from thin air and struck one of the vampires on the back. Robinson and Gomez had fallen while a yellow cloaked girl attended a minor cut on Lyn's shoulder. Even with greater numbers, the vampires were still deadly. He was confused, however, by the strange arrivals.

He was distracted then by another Vampire, stopping his musings. Oh, he knew this one… that sword, the long hair failing down his cloak, dark as the night.

"Scarletti" he muttered.

"So you remember me" the vampire said mockingly "That is a shock… it has been some time since someone actually lived after learning my name. I suppose it is time to correct that."

A great blast came from Cyrus left. Apparently one of the vampires wielding a staff had changed his attention to the strangers, who were blocking all his attempts. On his right, another red cloaked man had fallen while Lynette stabbed a vampire on his hearth, finished him rapid swift to his head. The corpse merely collapsed in gray dust with a choked scream on the vampire's throat.

An orange beam flew straight against her, but a red cloaked man erected a shield rapidly and in a quick move he started spinning sending ten spells in quick succession. His image became blurry as more and more spells flew from the man's wands – since he was wielding one in each hand - and the vampire was blasted into the air. The man then nodded towards Lynette, who merely huffed in annoyance.

Meanwhile, Scarletti had vanished and Cyrus raised _Kataigida _rapidly, blocking a strike directed at his head. He knew the Vampire had more resilience and greater speed, but he was damned if he was going to let himself be beaten.

In a quick motion, he stabbed the ground with _Kataigida_, just an instant before a second vampire appeared in front of him, his sword ready to strike.

"_Astraph"_

The vampire had no time to react as he was struck by countless bolts of electricity, sending him crashing several feet away. Smoke rose from the struggling vampire, who was trying to get up. But just as he was going to turn around, Scarletti appeared out of nowhere.

"_Cyrus NO!"_ he heard Lynette scream, as the blow from Scarletti came. Cyrus barely managed to block it, but his own weapon was sent away, oddly falling standing on the ground, still filled with electricity. Cyrus himself had fallen back from the force of the vampire. Time stopped right in that moment, as he tried to get up, but Scarletti was already on top of him, with his rapier ready to end him. He closed his eyes, accepting his fate.

But the blow never came.

Instead, when Cyrus looked up after what seemed an eternity, one of the strangers was holding his fallen sword blocking the enraged vampire, who had lost his hood.

'_It's not possible'_ he thought '_He was on the other side of the field!'_

In a quick movement the vampire was thrown back and the stranger was engaging the vampire while his two companions were fending off the vampire with the staff.

"Cyrus!" he heard Lynette, as the brunette kneeled next to him "Are you ok?"

"Yes I am" he managed to blurt out. He was quickly on his feet and he surveyed the scene. "We need to get that sentry, while those two distract the other".

"I'm on it" said a voice behind them.

"Remus" Lynette said, but the man in red cloak passed only stopping for a second. He slightly turned around and faced her.

"I will never forgive myself for not noticing about _him_. The only thing I have left is to defend Lily's and James's son, who might just be behind us."

And then in split second he had begun spinning, his image blurry once again, launching a myriad of spells against the second vampire with the staff, who had been currently charging against the yellow shield. He lasted around ten seconds before he had fallen down. Remus slowed down, leaving a trail on the path of his boots that had been slightly opened. Both his wands were aimed at the fallen vampire, and he was breathing heavily.

"Regroup" a chilling voice echoed on the grounds "It is time we stopped playing. I will deal with the newcomers. Get the shield down."

* * *

Ginny couldn't believe her eyes. They were really being attacked by Vampires. Next to her, her friends were crying in fear and older students watched anxiously not knowing what to do. A few of them were looking angry, even eager to enter the battle. But the yellow cloaked people wouldn't let them.

Meanwhile, a few Slytherin purebloods had started to scare a few younger students, and the Head boy and some perfects where trying to reprehend them.

"Luna" Ginny said when she realized something "Where's my brother?"

The blonde looked around and her eyes opened widely.

"They must be behind the stands!" she said "They may not had had time to get inside the protection."

"We need to tell someone".

They split from the group of Gryffindors who paid no attention to their retreat and they quickly reached the edge where the yellow cloaked people were struggling to maintain their shield up.

"Sir! Help us!" Ginny told him "There might be someone outside! Some students!"

The man turned abruptly, still holding his wand up, muttering counter-curses and enforcing the shield.

"There's nothing we can do now, if the shield falls there will be more people in danger. I'm sorry"

"But he's my brother!" Ginny said on the verge of tears.

"And Harry Potter!" Luna yelled.

The man cursed loudly.

"Tarik, cover for me" the yellow cloaked man said to his companion on the left before turning to the two girls "I will relay the message, there's nothing we can do from inside. We will get him help, young lady."

"_Expecto Patronus"_ the man said, and a silver eagle sprung from his wand.

The eagle flew towards Dumbledore, who turned around abruptly and searched the grounds, his eyes widened in fear. In a flash he was on the battlefield, making his way through Vampires and defenders alike, followed by a Chinese man in a green cloak and another old man in a yellow cloak.

The possessed girl appeared in front of them with a calculating look, her head slightly bent sideways. The girl then merely snapped her fingers.

A shadow seemed to pass by the sun, immersing the field in darkness. Grey mist covered the ground and spread in several ways flying towards the ashes of the few fallen vampires. The ashes formed small whirlwinds, spinning furiously, making a rumbling sound throughout the grounds. After a few more seconds, the mist vanished leaving behind the now unharmed vampires. They were, however, different. Their eyes opened and were completely black, and their movements were stiff and calculated.

The strangers took a few steps back, raising their wands. But the newly reformed vampires where to quick and charged against them, shrieking as they attacked relentlessly. The brown-cloaks barely managed to defend themselves and were blasted away when the possessed girl sent a powerful curse that left a crater on the ground. Two of them had been smashed against one of the platforms, and the other, was clutching his arm.

"_Bal: Kulkodar Flak"_

The possessed girl then raised her hand again, without any wand visible. A dark flame sphere formed on her hand and pulling back, she threw it at them, forming a great blaze as it traveled that would have surely burn them to ashes.

"_Alu: Tinechor!"_

A blue wall of water sprang up from the only one still conscious, blocking the flames. But the water was rapidly evaporating, and soon, the shield collapsed and the flames consumed the entire dueling platform.

"Bloody hell! What is _that!"_ The yellow cloak said incredulously. "Girls stay behind, I'm not sure how much we will be able to hold them"

"Looks like your little helpers are gone Dumbledore" the Demonic girl said when she couldn't find the strangers. If he couldn't sense them, it simply meant they were not there. "You will now face my wrath."

The two sentries had taken her sides as the once again complete group of vampires launched their attack against the red cloaked ones.

In a split second, one of the sentries had struck his staff on the floor, and the ground seemed to move, creating a big mound that moved directly to Dumbledore and his companions. The green cloaked one muttered some words and raised his hands in a complicated manner, sending a current of wind that cut the stone path that the Vampire had sent.

The second vampire had summoned a dark spell that circled him twice before launching it against the yellow cloaked one. The man waved his wand in a circular pattern and before anyone could see what happened, the dark cruse had been returned at the vampire, who barely dodged it.

But the demonic girl was just smiling at Dumbledore, who was waiting for the Dark Lord's move.

"_Throk'u burzuum, Illska tu'par, Mubajat ma bog _"

Her eyes darkened, and the sun seemed to hide behind a dark veil. Suddenly screams came from everywhere. First it was the students, who were covering their ears. They quickly fell to the ground. Soon the, defenders started falling, and the yellow shield was no more.

* * *

Ginny clutched her ears. She couldn't stop crying. Her mind was filled with images of her family dying, the vampires killing them. It was a feeling of dread like she had never had before. It had taken hold of her heart, mind and spirit. Her vision was being consumed by darkness, and she could hear an evil laugh in her head.

She saw how Luna had fallen too, next to her and her eyes seemed unfocused, her mouth opened in a silent shriek of terror without making a single sound.

Ginny saw how the recovered vampires walked slowly towards one of the defenders each, ready to strike them down. The remaining normal vampires were too approaching, with feral smiles on their faces and their fangs elongated prepared to bite a defenseless victim.

She could hear her heart beating loudly and rapidly. Breathing was becoming impossible and the dread was filling her up completely.

But then, she heard a gentle voice.

"Get up, little one" a woman said "It is time. You have nothing to fear anymore"

She drew a loud gasp, reaching for air that had been negated to her just an instant before. She sat down abruptly and saw the scene, terrified of what was happening. Next to her, Luna had too awoken and was trying to get herself together.

Slowly, Scarletti had approached the fallen form of Cyrus, who was currently clutching his head, panting heavily and grunting in pain. He had a vicious smirk, not even wielding his sword anymore. Next to him, nine other vampires were approaching a single victim each, while the other ten guarded with their wands the three fallen forms of Dumbledore and his companions. There was rumbling coming from outside, no doubt the whole ministry trying to bring down the dome that the first vampire sentry had formed.

The sound of a maniac laugh was heard throughout the battlefield.

"So this is what the wizarding world had to offer against us. Shameful, they couldn't contain such a small contingent of our forces." The girl said in her demonic voice, followed by laughter from the other vampires. "Worry not my friends; you shall be restored once we claim our prize. And of course, you can have your spoils of war. Take one of them each, so the rest can remember not to cross us again. We now wait for the _young_ one to return." He added in a joking matter.

"Hail Azael, Lord of Terror" the vampires said, kneeling down with their right arm crossed through their chest to the opposite shoulder. The ten vampires turned around and faced their victims once again, slowly leaning down. Scarletti showed his fangs, savoring already the taste of human blood.

"Your blood will be mine, fool" he whispered "And this shall be the last thing you will hear: _you have failed_"

However, an instant before all the vampires reached for their bite, Scarletti's senses were awakened, and he jumped back abruptly, followed only by two other vampires.

"_Sectumsempra!"_

"_Naur: Daenor Anmegil!"_

Two figures appeared from both sides of the line the vampires had made, one wielding a great axe that had been slashed vertically, while the other had a staff held with both hands aimed at the vampires that the first one couldn't get. Four of the vampires were cut in half, as if an invisible sword had sliced through them. And from the staff of the second figure, an horizontal whirlwind of fire had been launched at the other three, consuming them in matter of seconds, leaving nothing but ashes behind.

Three other figures appeared of thin air and in a blink of an eye the rest of the vampires had their wands aimed at them. One of the figures, however, raised its wand facing her palm.

"_Eximo:_ _Incarcerous malum plena"_

The ten vampires who had not wielded weapons found themselves suddenly snared in conjured robes, with a blue glow surrounding them.

"_Accio Wands"_ a second figure said and the vampires lost their hold on them.

"How dare you?" the demonic girl snarled "Just who do you think you are! There will be _hell _to pay for what you have done! Do you really think you stand a chance against me?"

The two sentries had managed to block the ropes and had taken a side next to the possessed girl. In the blink of an eye, the three vampire-swordsmen that remained had leaped up and charged against the strangers. But force what met with force and each of the vampires was stopped. An axe had sent the first one of them crashing several feet away, while the second one had been easily dodged by its target and stabbed from behind in a quick swift. Scarletti was met once again by _Kataigida_, still flowing with electricity, and the vampire had jumped back to recompose himself.

"No more games" the possessed girl said while opening her arms and looking above, her eyes completely dark

""_Throk'u burzuum…_"

The earth had started to tremble and a dark aura formed around the Lord of Terror, while the vampire sentries chanted in eerie voice. A black sphere appeared in the sky, swirling rapidly, absorbing the air around it as it grew bigger and bigger. The five brown-cloaked fighters seemed startled looking at each other. It was then, when another voice rose in the field.

" _Lauda Agnus Caeli emundet!"_

A white light shot into the sky, bright as the sun, pure and strong. From the fallen crowd, two small girls where standing next to each other. One of them held both her wands to the sky, her wand on the right.

The black sphere started shaking and rumbling, trying to fight the light. But it was consumed until the blackness was gone, and the dome began to slowly disappear from the top downwards.

"Damned girl! What have you done?" possessed girl bellowed as if she was in pain. The vampires who had been revived crumbled into ashes again and the remaining ones began screaming in agony, the sun's light burning their skin.

"_Lex Aeterna: Expurgo corpus!"_ the other girl bellowed pointing her wand at the possessed girl. A white beam shot from the blonde girl's wand and passed through her target.

The Lord of Terror then let out a great scream, as the Hufflepuff girl recovered her eyes, which were a clear blue. From her body a shadow appeared to be pulled and the screams started to become the ones of a male voice. Finally, the girl fell down, and behind her a dark cloaked man kneeled down, panting.

"Very well" the dark lord said "You have thwarted my plans, but my servant will get me my prize. Until we meet again."

He then raised his hand, finally showing his wand, which had an eerie green glow coming out of the tip. His face was pale white, and covered by a black hood. With a flourish of his hand, the remaining vampires vanished instantly, and he laughed one last time, as he pointed his wand towards one of the girls.

"_Avada Kedavra"_

"Noooooo!" a voice bellowed and in front of the startled girl, one of the brown cloaks had crossed the path of the curse, wielding a white hammer, that he struck to the ground, muttering some words. The curse hit the man's weapon, and something that had not ever been seen happened.

In a blue light, the white hammer glowed, taking the force of the curse, dissipating it.

"Impossible! What is this magic?" the Dark Lord bellowed as he let out an angry scream "You may have won this battle, but the war has just started. Mark my words, this world will _tremble_ on our path."

The entire crowd seemed to recover and started looking around, startled by the scene in front of them. Dumbledore had already recovered and without risking a single glance at the brown-cloaked fighters, he started to approach the Dark Lord. Several green, red and yellow cloaks where witchingly avidly and a few students had recovered. The dark shield was halfway down, and anxious yells could be heard from outside.

"Retreat" the Lord of Terror said in a deep voice "Perhaps, you have beaten us today, but this is only the beginning."

And having said that, he disappeared in a wisp of smoke.

_**A/N**_**: Finally! Another update! I know it has taken my AGES, but I have been extremely busy. Rest assured, I will keep updating the story. Thank you for your reviews and I hope the fic is of your liking. Anyways, the second book is coming to an end soon and I can tell you, the third book will bring much more stuff.**

**HP18: **They are actually pretty even, although Harry tends to go more towards the melee side and Robert towards the spell casting.

**XHinatalxlNarutoX: **I know I know it's taking me ages, i have been loaded with work though and this book has given me so many writers blocks. Anyways thanks for your patience!

**Please Read and Review!**


	15. Revealing Memories

**Chapter 15: Revealing memories.**

A groan echoed in the darkened chamber where a lonely figure or a girl stood. Debris, chunks of rock, dust and water filled the large room where she had been entrapped. Most columns and statues had received at least some damage. There was an eerie silence, broken now and then by a few droplets of water.

The girl was captured with tight ropes to the remnants of a statue. Her dark hair fell downwards, covering most of the pale, smooth skin of her face. Slowly, the girl began to move, awaking from a deep slumber.

Piercing blue eyes wandered through the room, still unfocused, trying to recognize something about her whereabouts.

"Hello" she said scared "Can someone hear me?"

The girl fell weak, and then took notice of her situation and tried to let herself free, but it was to no avail as the ropes seemed to constrict further every time she pulled her hand or leg. Fear took over her, and she started panicking. Anguish flowed through her, and a chill crept up her back at the sound of her voice reverberating in the darkness.

But what worried her more was that she couldn't remember anything, nothing at all. She tried to recall even her name, but it slipped from her mind. She couldn't remember any names, faces or who and where she was… It was the most terrible feeling she had ever had. Not that she could remember.

She couldn't take it anymore, and a few tears fell down her cheek, steady as the flow of a river. She quietly wailed and asked for someone to help her.

"Please, someone" she said to the emptiness "Anyone, please help me."

But no one came.

Rumbling could be heard coming from above, and dust fell from the roof, dissipating quickly before it fell to the chamber's floor. She didn't know how much time passed, but she grew accustomed to the darkness. She barely gave any thought of how good she could see, but still there was nothing for her to.

Hunger filled her stomach, and her mouth was dry. It was unbearable, but there was nothing she could do. No one was coming apparently.

She struggled a bit more, but stopped when she saw a large bruise on one of her legs. On her boots a small knife hung loosely but there was no way she could reach for it. Tired and somewhat hopeless, she stopped to watch her surroundings a bit more thoroughly.

She recognized it must have been an old place. The irk smell, like food that has been kept in the same place for way too long. The old statues, at least the ones still standing, were worn and eroded from all the water flowing slowly from the ceiling. She also noticed it was probably underground due to that fact.

The strangled noises from above finally stopped, and she couldn't help to feel that something was about to happen.

She had no idea.

The shadows seemed to grow around her, and a strange breeze filled the chamber. There were whispers in the dark, echoing in the abandoned room. She whimpered and started fighting the ropes that tied her. Darkness consumed the room, and the lone girl closed her eyes, full of tears, and silently begged someone to come rescue her.

She wished that when she opened her eyes, she will be safe and untied and wherever she was supposed to come from. Her mind was completely blank, as if someone had taken every single memory of her. But how could someone do that?

Yet, her wish was not fulfilled, and when she opened her eyes, five figures stood before her, their face shrouded in shadows. Each of them held a menacing looking weapon, and a faint sob escaped her throat.

"So this is the spy, you say?" asked the one in the middle "But she is too young, how could she have joined them. Unless…"

"She's one of _them_" the first one on the left said with scorn in his voice "She has fooled every single one of us. Thankfully, our dear professor did the marvelous job of _erasing completely her mind_".

"He wasn't a smart lad anyways" commented the first one on the right, his voice carefree, but still hoarse… menacing.

"Do you think they will start looking for us?" said the last one on the right in a feminine voice. "They looked ready to attack us."

"Don't worry, they won't realize" the last one on the left said "Now, back to the task at hand, we still have a problem. The girl doesn't remember anything. Or do you?"

"I… I…" the girl said whimpering "I don't know… I can't remember anything. Please don't hurt me."

"That's rich coming from you" said the first one on the left "Having done this to me." He added as he raised one of his sleeves, revealing a nasty looking cut down his bicep. If anything the girl paled even more.

"How… when" she stammered "I couldn't have done that, please you must be mistaken".

"Believe me" said seriously the first one on the right "We aren't lying, you hurt us bad girl. Maybe we should make you pay."

"Enough Draco" the one in the middle said gravely "Remember that we are _not_ like them. We will get information from her."

"But I don't remember anything!" the girl yelled desperately "Please, don't hurt me; I'll do anything, just please!"

"Oh, but you will remember" the woman said "Perhaps it is time to find a spell in that book of yours Robert".

"Fine" the first one on the right said and out of thin air, a great white book appeared. The girl gasped and started trembling and sobbing.

"Please, please I beg you"

But the shadowy characters ignored her pleadings once again, as the one called Robert opened up a massive book. He muttered some words and the pages moved on their own. The woman then approached and read for a while before closing the book. The girl sobbed uncontrollably when she saw a wand pointed at her face. The woman then said a few words and her world went black.

* * *

Images started flashing through her eyes. It was blurry, and the scenes on her mind seemed to be going backwards. She couldn't make out a single thing and it was all too fast for her to understand.

They stopped abruptly and she found herself in an old house surrounded by grasslands. It was dark, a storm raging around her. But she wasn't getting drenched on the heavy rain. She didn't understand what was happening.

A high pitched scream called her attention and she suddenly moved forcibly at an incredible speed to the source. There was a shed behind the house, and inside the shed there was a figure crouching next to three fallen bodies.

She approached slowly and gasped when she saw herself crying. Something clicked on her head and she understood. Her family had been murdered. Tears started falling on the ground. Her father laid there with a deep gash on his heart, a wooden stick pinned on his chest. Her mother was next to him, her slit throat bleeding profusely, while her little brother and sister both had deathly wounds in their little stomachs. The young Tanya of her memory cried inconsolably trying to hold all of them.

A shadow then covered the girl and a dark figure materialized swiftly. The girl whimpered trying to escape from the man who had just appeared.

"Do not fear, young one" the man said in an aristocratic, elegant voice "I mean no harm to you. I am so very sorry for your loss, and as such I feel obligated to reveal that it was the _muggles _who committed this atrocity."

"But why?" the girl in the memory said "We didn't do anything to them!"

"My young Tanja" the man said "Muggles are horrendous creatures that should be treated as such. Mindless beasts who understand nothing. But you young one, you are a special person."

"Why?" she asked timidly.

"It is in fact extremely unusual to find a half-vampire" the man said "And even more unusual to find one that is a witch. Your family died protecting you from the brute monsters that tried to slaughter you."

Tanja's face darkened. Her family had always been a special one. It was the first time in centuries, if not millennia, that a wizard and a vampire had married and bore children with the gifts of both their kinds. They had been respected and admired, but there had never been violence against them. So powerful was the Peverell clan.

"I know what you seek, young one" the man said, almost like a hiss "Revenge, I can show you how to achieve it, if you would follow me."

"I will"

And so, memory after memory started to fly by in front of her eyes as she recalled all that she had seen. Fear, pain, suffering, death. There was not a single one that wasn't filled with darkness. She was reminded of what her mission was and who was she facing.

* * *

Tanja woke up, her eyes filled up with fury and anger. She loathed her old memories, when she had been weak and pathetic. When she had her eyes opened to the monstrosity the _muggles_ were. She attempted to free herself with renewed strength, but the chains held strong. Something they had done was stopping her.

"You" she snarled "Will pay for this. My master will erase your pathetic selves from this world and banish you to hell!"

"My, my" said Ron shaking his head "She's completely of her rocker, eh mates?"

"There was something else, wasn't there Hermione?" Robert said watching warily the vampire girl.

"Yes" she said frowning "I could see her memories, but there was something off from the first one."

"That's because you are a weakling stupid girl and I …"

"_Silencio" _Draco said "She was bloody annoying me."

"Thank you Draco" Hermione said rolling her eyes "Now, as I was saying, I should have been able to see _all_ of her memories, and she was already quite old in the first one."

"Should we ask her then?" Harry questioned finally.

"There's no reason she will cooperate Harry" Rob said.

"We could make her…"

"Absolutely not, Draco Malfoy!" Hermione said heatedly "We are not torturing someone, doesn't matter what sort of evil assassin she is."

"I think we should try it again" Rob said, crossing his arms.

"Fine, I will do it" Harry said looking at the girl who was currently trying to scream but failing to produce a single sound.

"M_emento quae oblivionem"_

* * *

The scene was the very same. The rain filled again her nostrils with the smells of wet soil. The dark night and the old house were as petrifying as they had been the last time. But something was different. Tanja frowned in confusion when she heard rumbling sounds; someone was dueling on the far side of her old home, near the shed. But she couldn't remember that. She remembered the high pitched scream of her mother, but it never came.

This time she walked slowly as the battle roared fiercely. She couldn't understand what was happening. If the first memory wasn't real it meant…

"No… no way…."

She started running, surrounding her old home. She was going to finally see her family's murderers. Something inside her burned with hatred and she ran faster until she could see the shed. The night sky on the far side was filled with colored lights and fire burned around.

She could make out several figures dueling, and she gasped when she realized what was happening.

"No!" She whispered in astonishment "No! This can't be!"

But another voice rose above hers, filling the dark night.

"This is your last chance Peverell, give us the location of the Hallows!"

She knew that voice. She knew it too well.

"You will never find them, Scarletti" she heard the voice of her father, calm and deep as she remembered it. Or did she remember it? Somehow it was like hearing it for the first time.

"Daddy!" she heard a little boy yell as he sprinted towards her father, followed by a little girl. On the distance she could see the younger version of herself hiding in behind wooden boxes, whimpering in fright.

"No! Calvin, Merina!" she heard another voice. She then saw a beautiful woman, with long dark hair and deep blue eyes, as she ran towards her siblings.

"Mom" Tanja whimpered "Mom, no…"

"_Avada Kedavra_"

She froze. Her eyes couldn't believe what she was seeing. Out of thin air, another man appeared. It was her master. From the tip of a blade he was carrying, a green spell shot towards her little brother and sister. But her mother stood between the curse and death claimed her.

"Sara! No!" her father said, but he had been caught off guard and he suddenly found himself impaled from behind with a silver looking blade.

"Die" Scarletti whispered in his ear.

Her mother and father… they were killed, not by _muggles_, but by the very same people she called masters. She saw her brother and sister crying next to the body of her mother. She couldn't take it, and she fell to the ground on her knees.

"Perhaps we should look away" a voice said behind her.

Tanja looked to her left and saw a young boy with dark unruly hair and green emerald eyes. He kneeled next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Look at my eyes and nowhere else" he said soothingly, but she couldn't stop crying.

"No mummy no!" she heard her brother trying to wake her mother up. But she never broke the gaze away from the emerald eyes. The whimpering of her sister almost made her look but the boy held her face and forced her to look into his eyes.

"You don't have to see it" he said as he covered her ears with his hands. Several minutes passed, and the rain had already stopped. The boy took his hands off her ears, and helped the girl stand up.

"Such a shame we didn't find the Hallows" Scarletti said sheathing his sword.

"It was perhaps Ignotus's and not Cadmus's family who had them" Azael said in his aristocratic voice, as if he hadn't killed Tanja's family just moments before. "But we have another prize to claim, I believe".

With a gesture of his hands, the young Tanja flew out of her hiding spot into the mud, sobbing profusely.

"I can't have crying girls in my ranks don't you agree Scarletti?"

"It would be a disgrace for the Death Angles, milord" the vampire answered.

"Very well then" Azael said as he extended his palm forming a dark purple sphere.

"_Obliviate meum percupio"_

* * *

"Noooooooo!"

"What the bloody…" Ron said holding his hands to his ears when the vampire girl started shrieking after Harry broke the spell. The others had taken a step back and were too clutching their ears. The girl pulled the chains trying to get free, sobbing uncontrollably.

"What did you see!" Draco bellowed trying to get Harry to listen above the desperate screams of the girl. "What in the world did you do?"

"She had repressed memories!" Hermione answered yelling as well "That's why it was foggy when I went in. The two spells may have been too much and unlocked what she had forgotten!"

"Silence Her PLEASE!" complained Ron, who was kneeling on the ground.

"No!" commanded Robert "She doesn't look angry! She is in pain!"

And indeed, the girl wasn't even trying to break free, but was smashing the ground to the point her hands had started bleeding. She let out a strangled sob, and lost her voice. Her piercing blue eyes were red from crying and she held one of her hands to her heart. Harry approached her taking slow steps.

"Harry wait!" Draco said while he jumped up trying to reach his friend before he got close to the vampire. But he was stopped abruptly by a hand that forced him to stay on his spot.

"Let him deal with her" said Robert holding him "He knows what he's doing. He saw something inside her head; didn't you see how his face changed?"

Harry kneeled down besides Tanja, who was slumped, hanging from the chains that held her to the stone.

"If I let you free, do you promise not to try to escape or harm us?" he asked softly. The girl nodded slowly, all her strength and anger gone. Her face was full of anguish and she closed her eyes, tears cascading down her pale cheeks. Harry looked back and gave Robert a signal and with a swift swipe of his wand, the chains unlocked.

Tanja started falling towards the stone floor, but was caught by Harry, who held her from her arms. She looked up, her eyes shining from the tears, but with a confused look on her face. She stared at Harry befuddled of his gesture.

"It is okay to cry" said Harry lowering himself down to her level "What they did was unforgivable."

"I…"

The girl had wanted to say something, but she stopped in mid-sentence when she received a soft hug from Harry. Her voice broke again and she held the raven-haired boy strongly, and began sobbing once again.

"I'm so very sorry" Harry whispered "My family was too killed by these evil people, and I was kept from the truth a long time."

"I trusted them" she said between sobs "I did whatever they wanted! And they… they took them away from me!"

Rob, Hermione, Draco and Ron looked wearily at each other, but still walked towards Harry and Tanja. They leaned next to the pair and watched silently as the girl sobbed.

"Do you want to tell us what happened?" Hermione said softly, placing a hand on Tanjas shoulder.

"He… he… he killed them" she stuttered not breaking free from Harry's embrace "And he made me believe that it had been _ muggles _who had done it, and he convinced me to work for him!"

"Who did that?" asked Draco, starting to catch on "Was it Voldemort?"

"You…" said Tanja looking up "I… but you… I couldn't believe it when you came here. I thought your family…"

"Yes, my family supports him" he said placing a comforting hand on her shoulder "But I'm not like them. I changed. I was like them until I realized what they were doing, and I had my chance when I met _them_" He said pointing at Harry and his other friends " Remember that time on the forest, last year? It was the first time that I could really talk with them. And they let me in. You can change too"

"But I have done so many terrible things…" Tanja said letting Harry go. She then kneeled on the ground and looked down "I… you don't understand… you can't. You are too young. There's no way I can be forgiven. I am horrible, and all this years, everything I believed, everything I fought for was a lie! That damn Azael, his like venom, he poisoned me!"

"He tricked you, and he put a curse on you" Robert said "And you were only a child, you couldn't know what he had done."

"Many people claimed to have been under the imperius curse" Draco said "Even when they did bad things too. Death Eaters are still free and they weren't tricked into working for Voldemort. There's no way you are like them."

"Who are you children" she said looking at the teenagers with a frown on her forehead "Are you really the ones of the prophecy? How do you know so much, how were you able to stop me? Or my master?"

"That we can't tell yet" said Ron "Not until we know where you stand. I believe what you have told us, but you haven't said what you are going to do."

"I want to kill him" she said with a dangerous look on her face "I want both of them. I want them to pay!"

"Revenge will never be good" Robert said holding forcibly both her shoulders, making her look into his eyes "It poisons our soul, and it kills it. If you want to change, you have to learn to let go."

"I…" she muttered after a while, not knowing what to say "I haven't been left speechless in long time, much less from a child like you."

"Then it is up to you" Harry said helping her stand up. The five students then formed a half circle around the vampire girl. Harry then took out his sword and hit the ground with it. Robert followed taking his staff, Hermione her sword, Draco his axe and Ron finally the white hammer.

"That is… " Tanja began, her eyes opened up wide when she saw the hammer "You defeated the basilisk?"

"I lost my last sword to it" Harry said "But yes, we did"

"But how did you enter the chamber?" Tanja asked still in shock.

Harry smirked and glanced towards Rob who nodded in response. Both of them then started speaking between them.

'_She will be surprised, wont she?"_

'_I bet she will'._

"That's impossible!" she bellowed "Both of you are parseltongues?"

"Yea these two are something else" Draco said "We are still waiting your answer… what will you do?"

The girl started pondering, as she seated down on the floor in a defeated manner. She was like that for a good half hour, and the five teenagers were beginning to get impatient. She finally stood up and looked directly at Harry, before kneeling and bowing down her head.

"I pledge myself to you" she said "I will help you in any way I am able to defeat Azael"

"To defeat the Snake Lords you mean" Ron said "We want them all down."

She looked up once again and began laughing.

"What are you talking about?" she said "Do you even know what you are doing?"

"It is our destiny" Harry said "Or so we have been told."

"_What?"_ She yelled "You mean… But if you have… then you really are the children of prophecy. Then it is true. I… I don't know what to do. Even if I want to help you, there's no way Azael won't find me."

"Then you go back to him" Harry said getting expectant looks from his friends "You work as a spy… you do know Occlumency right?"

"Yes, but…"

"Only if you feel there is no way he can know that you are helping us." Harry continued. He could understand it was a dangerous job. If she was discovered, she probably wouldn't survive. "It is your choice. If you don't want to do it, we can find other ways to conceal you."

"That is if what you showed us it's the truth and you are being honest about trying to help us. Who knows… maybe it's all a plan to get us" Robert commented, holding his staff between his crossed arms.

"A vow…" Draco said "An unbreakable vow"

"I… I understand" Tanja said after a couple moments "You can never be sure of who to trust. I will do whatever you ask for me, as long as you let me help bring down the one who destroyed my family. Who will do the vow?"

"Let me do it" Draco said stepping forward "I know what it is to be a spy"

"OK, so now what?" asked Ron.

"They have to hold their arms" said Hermione "I will be the bonder. I read that you have to ask something of her Draco and if she accepts the Vow will be made."

There was a moment of silence in which everyone stood still.

"Will you, Tanja, promise to aid us in the fight against the Snake Lords, in any way you can."

"I will" she spoke. A golden tendril poured out of Hermione's wand, surrounding their entwined arms.

"Will you promise not to betray or cause harm to us or any innocent person, whether it's a muggle, wizard or any creature?"

"I promise"

A second golden tendril escaped and enveloped their joined hands. It glowed in a bright white for a second, before disappearing into nothing. Hermione let out a sigh she was holding without knowing.

Harry approached then the vampire girl who stood with a somber look on her face. She was impassive when the young boy approached her. However, he extended his hand and offered it to her. After a few seconds, she took it and Harry beamed to her.

"Welcome" he said to her "I promise that the things that were done to you will not go unpunished. But I have to ask you not to go against our plans. To do as we say. That's how we work, as a group."

She was unsure for a second, her blue eyes darkening and her breathing labored.

"I…" she began "Very well, I understand, I'll play by your rules."

"You can begin by telling us why Azael wanted this hammer" Rob asked pointing at the weapon that Ron was holding.

"That is Mjölnir, it is said that it was made by Eitri the Dwarf with the help of Brokkr his brother. Legend says Thor himself wielded Mjölnir, and the hammer would never fail, he could strike as strongly as he wanted and his aim would never falter" Tanja said "It could be enlarged to fight against the mightiest foes or be as small to carry under his tunic. Truthfully Azael wanted the hammer for a single reason. It is the source of the Dwarves magic, or so the old manuscripts of the _Forn_ _Edda_ say. He was planning on dominating the remnants of the Dwarven civilization."

"Wow…" Ron said "I've only heard of the dwarves on old fairytales my mom used to tell me. They were mighty blacksmiths and they had amazing cities made of stone. If I hadn't met one already I wouldn't even believe you."

"Wait a second" Tanja said bewildered "You have met a dwarf? Some thirteen year old kids? Where could you find one?"

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked "I thought you said that there were still some of them still living. Why would it be weird for us to have met one?"

"There hasn't been a single Dwarf sighting in more than a hundred years, after they lost Mjolnir to us" Tanja said before being interrupted by Ron.

"That's what Dryl said right?"

There was sharp intake of air and Tanjas face became even more paler, if that was even possible. It took her a few moments to regain her breath, but she was finally able to speak.

"Your meeting with him wasn't a coincidence, there was a larger force at work. Someone is helping you."

"_Nim'Vahka" _Robert said in an eerie whisper. Tanjas eyes were wide open, and she took a step back.

"Do they know I am here?" she said looking around as if one of the Guardians will somehow pop up and snatch her away.

"They will not harm you if we tell them that you are helping."

"You are joking right?" she yelled "They will bloody tear me up to pieces! You have no idea how much damage I've done to your precious orders."

"Orders?" Ron questioned "What is she talking about?"

"Oh you don't know?" Tanja snapped, but seeing their confused faces, a frown formed on her forehead. "Are you serious? You fought alongside them a few hours ago!"

"Oh" Hermione said "You mean those folks in red, green and yellow? We had never seen them before. Well some of them, but they never talked about an 'Order', much less several of them."

"So you work on your independently, huh?" Tanja commented "Well, that's surprising. Nevertheless, my time is running short. Azael will summon me soon."

As she said this, word by word, Tanja started getting angry. Her fists were shut tight, and her magic started to flare, surrounding her. Her eyes lit up, her rage palpable. But in a blink of an eye Harry was in front of her and held her from both shoulders.

"You will not endanger yourself" Harry said "We know what he did to you, but these feelings will not get you anywhere. Remember your family. They wouldn't want you to die in vain, or even worse, return to that evil path you were taking."

By the mention of her family, her magic calmed down, and tears welled up in her eyes. She slowly nodded, and suddenly she didn't feel like a vampire assassin, but as an innocent girl who has just realized she was betrayed by those she trusted. She then hugged Harry like there was no tomorrow and sobbed heavily. Hermione had tears in her eyes too and slowly approached the girl and embraced them both. Soon they were all joined in a group hug that was unlike any demonstration of love she had ever gotten in decades. She was overwhelmed by how five kids had in so short time changed her entire life, and inside her heart there was a pain, but also a longing and a feeling of gratitude started forming.

She would never betray them, vow or no vow. That's what she had decided.

In that very moment, a great wind started blowing, and the chamber started shaking. Strangely enough, she didn't feel in danger, and from the look of their faces, neither did the children around her.

She turned around and saw Draco staring intensely at her. In all her life she had never felt a gaze so strong, and for the first time in long years, she felt a blush warm her cheeks. Draco merely nodded and offered her a small smile.

In a gust of wind, the Chamber of Secrets had disappeared, only to be replaced by the Hall of the Guardians. Surrounding them were The Eight, smiling fondly at the six figures in front of them.

"Welcome young _Ainur_" echoed an old voice, strong and deep. "You have done wonderfully."

"Merlin" Harry said and bowed in respect of the greatest wizard in history. Soon he was followed by his friends, leaving an astonished Tanja trembling behind them.

"You have nothing to worry about, child" said Eldric Potter "We mean no harm to you."

"But… but.." Tanja stuttered, as she tried to reach for her wand. However it fell to the ground when she couldn't control her shaking.

"We are not your enemies anymore" said Arthur "Long have we been watching young one."

"Young one?" she asked timidly.

"But isn't she really old?" Ron whispered as they raised their heads and spread out around Tanja.

"Shut up Ronald" Hermione answered in harsh whisper "It's not a good moment". Unknown to them, Ravenclaw and Aer were smiling softly at their behavior.

"Yes" Allanon said in a commanding voice at Tanjas hesitation.

"Because today" Nimueh continued "Your hearth has decided to go back to how it was before you lost your family. There is no doubt in it anymore, and in time, you will see that the wounds will heal."

"Young you were when you were cursed" Dallben said "And you have remained with the body of a youngling."

"_Cursed?"_ Tanja said in shock.

"Indeed Child" Allanon spoke "It was dark magic that your master knows well, revealed to him by the Witch herself."

"What do you mean?" Tanja said "I shouldn't be looking like this?"

"Right you are" Verona Ravenclaw said "But worry not, for you shall be cleansed and given a normal life. Your master won't even realize that the foul curse has been lifted from you."

Then, Merlin struck his staff to the ground, and the magic wind started blowing, surrounding Tanja in a blue light, Her black hair flew everywhere and she started floating in midair.

Merlin then chanted a single spell.

"_Â__min leithe fealle, aman nim_'_Sikil"_

The blue light then engulfed her, but a shadow remained on her right wrist. Merlin struck his staff again, and the shadow left Tanya, slowly floating towards the center pedestal.

"Is that… what I think it is?" Hermione said.

"The shadow seal" Allanon said.

"It will be imprisoned, for it has a mind of its own" Nimueh said "And free shall the young one be."

The blue light then faded and Tanja fell slowly to the ground, clutching her hearth and breathing heavily. She was helped then by Draco who held her from behind her back, aiding her to walk towards Merlin.

"You…. You freed me?" she said whispering "Thank you"

"There is no need to thank us" Merlin said "Young _Ainur_"

"What?" the six of them bellowed, followed by the laughter of the eight Guardians.

"But… how can I be… but" Tanja muttered incoherently.

"You were chosen long ago, and fate has brought you in the time of need. Are you willing to do what is necessary to defeat evil? The path is long and dangerous, but you will not be alone."

When he said this, all six looked at each other, and all of them smiled once again.

"I am ready".

**A/N: Wow, im really sorry It has taken me AGES to upload and i apologize for taking so long. I have been extremely busy at work since i we are starting a new business so i have had no free time to continue with the story. Nevertheless i WILL keep on writing. This chapter marks the ending of the second book. Honestly, i found it REALLY hard to write this one it but i really hope you liked it.**

**Anyways, i will try to upload more often, since i will be starting fresh with the third book. Please R&R and thank you for reading my work :)  
**


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